Here We Go Again
by HaloFin17
Summary: An alternative sequel to the World Race movie. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after I saw WR many times but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Please enjoy, and feel free to review!
1. Prologue

**Summary: **An alternative sequel to the World Race movie that I started before I knew about theAcceleRacers series. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own of the Hot Wheels, Mattel, etc. stuff that I'm writing about here.

**Author's Note:** Obviously, this doesn't fit in with the events of the AcceleRacers series since I wrote it before I saw any of them. Please don't be too upset with me! The prologue is a bit sad, but things do improve, so don't get too depressed. Hope you enjoy!

**Prologue**

Professional driver Kurt Wylde paused briefly to draw a deep breath of refreshing spring air before turning toward the night club where two of his best friends awaited him. He didn't know how late they would be out that night, but in his mind, it didn't matter. He had placed second in a race the day before, and there was nothing important on his schedule for several days.

He had just entered the club and spotted his friends when his cell phone rang. Irritated, he fished the devise out of his pocket and was tempted to simply turn it off. But, somehow unable to ignore the feeling that it might be important, Kurt motioned for his friends to wait for him and stepped aside to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Kurt? It's Markie."

Markie – not exactly someone he was anxious to talk to; but, hey, it was his little brother.

"Hey, Markie, what's up?" Kurt couldn't help smiling to himself. Normally when they spoke, his younger sibling would identify himself simply as "Mark." But he rarely, if ever, protested when Kurt reverted to the old habit of calling him "Markie." And it was now a subtle yet amusing change for his brother to willingly call himself "Markie" right from the start.

"Listen," Markie continued, "I really need to talk to you. Something's happened."

"What?" Kurt was no longer smiling, for there was no mistaking the pain and dread in his brother's voice. "Markie, what's wrong?" he asked again.

"Kurt, Mom and Dad were in a car accident, a really bad one. They…" Markie's voice faltered and trailed off.

Kurt froze, a grip of cold fear wrenching his stomach.

"Markie," he began slowly, "are they all right?" His voice sounded hollow and strange, even to himself.

There was no answer, but Kurt no longer needed one. The unmistakable sound of his brother crying on the other end was all he needed to hear. Nevertheless, he kept pressing.

"Markie, tell me, what happened?" He tried to keep his voice low, but he could feel his own panic rising rapidly. He briskly stepped back outside into the night, friends forgotten. And Kurt Wylde could only listen in agonizing silence as his brother finally spoke.

"Oh, Kurt," Markie at last managed to say through his tears. "Kurt, Dad was killed on impact…and Mom's in the hospital right now. They're not sure if she's gonna make it."

Kurt stood still in stunned silence, struck dumb with sudden grief. His chest tightened, stifling his breath.

"Kurt?"

At that, Kurt found his voice.

"Markie, are you at the hospital?" he asked.

"Yeah. The one closest to our house."

"I'm on my way right now," Kurt told him as he hurried toward his car. "I'll be there as soon as I can, probably a couple hours. Just hold on until I get there, all right?"

"Okay." Markie sounded too overwhelmed and confused to say otherwise.

"Good." Kurt didn't really feel much different than his brother, but he knew that he had to get home. "I'll be there soon. Hang in there, Markie. I'm on my way." Kurt hung up the phone, jumped into his car, and sped off down the road.

* * *

The drive from New York City to the Boston suburbs usually took about three hours to complete. Kurt made it in less than two. He arrived at the hospital and strode quickly up to one of the front desks to try to locate Markie. He glanced down at his watch. _Almost two in the morning_, he thought to himself. _No wonder this place is so empty._

"Hello, Mr. Wylde," the young woman behind the front desk greeted him before he could say a word. "You'll find your brother in the waiting room nearest to the Intensive Care Unit." She pointed a finger down one of the main hallways. "You two really look alike," she explained when Kurt remained silent.

"Thanks," Kurt said with a slight nod as he hurried off in the indicated direction. When he finally reached the waiting room, he found Markie talking alone with an elderly nurse. Both looked up when he entered, and Markie immediately ran up and hugged him. Kurt returned the embrace, but neither of them spoke.

After a moment, Kurt looked over his brother's head at the nurse who had remained in the room. His eyes asked the question he couldn't bear to put into words, but in his heart, he already knew the answer. And the nurse, tears brimming in her own eyes, confirmed his premonitions with a slow, deliberate shake of her head. Their mother had now passed, as well. The nurse then silently withdrew from the room, leaving them alone.

Kurt's mind was racing. _No!_ it screamed to him. _Mom and Dad are fine! They're just…_

But he couldn't even convince himself of his own lie. He knew the truth, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do to change it. Grief and helplessness overtook him at last, and tears he had previously held back now flowed silently down his cheeks.

Markie, on the other hand, was sobbing uncontrollably into his brother's shoulder, oblivious to the world around him. Kurt sighed slowly and rested a hand on the back of his brother's head.

"Markie…" he began, but his voice failed him. No words could have been a comfort for Markie now. He just needed to know that he wasn't alone. The two of them stood locked in long an embrace, all sense of time having vanished long ago.

"Boys?"

Kurt and Markie both started at the sudden interruption, and they turned to see a white-haired doctor standing beside them.

"I'm sorry, boys, but it's late, and there's nothing more you can do here," the doctor continued. "Why don't you go home."

Kurt nodded. "You're right," he quietly conceded. "Let's go, Markie." He gave his brother's shoulder one last reassuring squeeze, and they left the hospital.

The ride over to the Wylde home was not a long one, but it was silent. Kurt slowly pulled his sporty Sling Shot race car up next to Markie's sleek Corvette Stingray convertible. Both cars had been taken home as souvenirs from the exhilarating World Race just nine months before.

Wordlessly, the brothers entered the house and prepared for a night of restless sleep, if any at all. Kurt's old room had been converted into a guest bedroom several years ago, but it made little difference to him now. He stopped briefly by Markie's room to say good-night, but it was empty.

Yet, as he continued further down the hall, Kurt was startled by a muffled sound coming from his parents' bedroom. He quietly opened the door, and in the faint light from the hallway, he saw Markie stretched out on the bed, crying softly into his mother's pillow.

"Markie?" Kurt called softly, his own tears threatening again. He went forward and lay down on the bed beside his brother. But Markie's only response was more tears.

Kurt sighed desperately. "Come on, Markie, talk to me. You haven't said a word since I got here. Please say something – anything!" He reached out and began to gently massage his brother's tense neck and shoulders, which soon became visibly more relaxed.

"Oh, Kurt," Markie sobbed at last. "Kurt, what are we gonna do?" His voice was layered with grief, helplessness, and fear.

"We'll be all right, Markie," Kurt assured him. "Just give it some time. It'll be okay."

"But what are we going to do _now_?" Markie asked again.

Kurt thought for a moment. "Well," he finally went on, "I guess you can come to New York and stay with me for a few years. You may not exactly like the idea, but it won't kill you."

"But is it really necessary? You know, I've still got most of that five million dollars left from the World Race. At least I wouldn't have to worry about money."

Kurt shook his head. "There's more than money to worry about here. You're only seventeen, you're too young to be living on your own. You may have plenty of money, but I'm not sure you're ready to properly handle it all by yourself. Besides, even five million dollars won't last for the rest of your life."

"I know," Markie sighed. "You're right."

"Good. I'm glad you're at least being sensible about all this."

Markie finally rolled over to face his brother. "Yeah." He bit his bottom lip to keep it from trembling, but his tears returned with fresh intensity all the same. "But I still miss them so much!"

"I know," Kurt replied sadly. "I do, too." He laid an arm across Markie's shivering shoulders, and in the silence that followed, the brothers finally fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary:** An alternative sequel to World Race. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anyof theHot Wheels, Mattel, etc. stuff that I'm writing about here.

**Author's Note:** Again, I started writing this before I saw any of the AcceleRacers episodes, so obviously I have some of the characters turning out differently than the later movie series showed. Thanks for your understanding!

**Chapter One**

"Are you sure he's gonna be here?"

Vert Wheeler glanced at his friend Alec Wood in slight annoyance.

"Of course he'll be here! He said he would be, so I'm sure he is. I just don't know where exactly."

"Oh, brilliant," Alec shot back. "We've been walking around for over half an hour, and we haven't seen any sign of him."

Vert didn't respond; he knew Alec was right. They had searched what seemed like the entire race track, but with no luck. He shaded his eyes against the hot Southern California sun and scanned the crowds once more.

"This place is huge," he finally said to Alec. "He's just gotta be here somewhere."

"How about right behind you?" Alec suggested suddenly, trying to suppress a smile.

Vert turned around, and sure enough, there waving at them was Markie Wylde.

"Hey, Markie!" Alec called as he and Vert ran up to meet him. Except for an increase in muscle mass and the new look of depth and maturity in his dark eyes, Markie looked very much the same as when they had last seen him a year ago at the World Race.

"How you doing, Markie?" Vert asked with some concern. He and Alec had kept in touch with Markie over the past year, and the tragedy that had struck the Wylde brothers just three months earlier was well-known to both of them.

"I'm all right," Markie answered. "Things have definitely gotten better since school got out."

"No kidding!" Alec agreed. He grinned. "We've only got one year left, guys. I can't believe it – we're gonna be seniors!"

Markie shrugged. "It'll be fun, I guess, but I really can't wait for school to be over for good."

"What are you planning to do after you graduate?" Vert asked him.

"I'm gonna start racing professionally. How 'bout you guys?"

Alec answered for both of them. "We might race, like you, or we may try professional skateboarding or surfing."

"Either one will probably work," Vert put in, "so we'll just have to see when the time comes. But you, what's it like living with Kurt?"

Markie chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Well, it's not as bad as I thought it might be," he admitted. "Naturally, there are times when we want to kill each other, but for the most part, we've been getting along pretty well. A lot better than before, anyway."

"Is he letting you come with him to all his races, or just this one?" Alec asked.

"I'm going to all his races during the summer; but once school starts up again, I'll be pretty much stuck in New York." Markie made a face. "He'll keep racing, of course, but he's promised he'll try to be home more often and not leave me alone so much. He and I have spent a lot of time driving together lately, and I've actually learned a lot from him. Shocking, I know, but it's true."

Vert grinned. Throughout the majority of the World Race, he and Kurt had certainly not been on friendly terms. Like his younger brother, but to an even greater degree, Kurt Wylde was very proud and extremely competitive. But despite all this, Vert had come to realize that Kurt truly was a good person, though a bit mysterious on the surface. He hadn't seen or talked with Kurt at all over the past year, but Vert felt confident that none of the previous prejudices between them would surface again.

"After I graduate, it hopefully won't be long before he and I are competing in the same races," Markie went on. He smiled. "Now that'll be fun!"

"I'm sure that won't be too long," Alec assured him. "You're a really good driver, and I know you could get into any race he can. I mean, you held your own in the World Race a year ago, and only the best drivers in the world could compete in that one."

"Thanks," Markie replied appreciatively.

"Speaking of the World Race," Vert broke in, "is there anyone else here we would know besides you and Kurt?"

Markie thought a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Dan Dresden's here racing, too, and so is Taro Kitano."

"Awesome!" Vert exclaimed. "I hope we can get a chance to see them again; that would be great!"

"Yeah, it would!" Alec agreed.

"Oh, hey!" Markie said suddenly. "Did I ever tell you guys that he and Lani actually got married?"

"Who?" Vert and Alec immediately exclaimed in unison.

"Apparently I didn't," Markie dryly commented, "but Lani and Taro really did get married just a few months after the World Race."

"Wow!" Vert shook his head. "I can hardly believe it."

"Their child will no doubt be the greatest racer of the next generation," Alec added with mock solemnity.

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Markie said again. "Lani's about four or five months pregnant now, too."

Vert and Alec could only stare at him for a moment.

"How do you know these things?" the blonde teen finally asked.

"Kurt," Markie answered simply. "He hears about stuff like that and tells me anything he thinks I'd be interested in."

Alec shook his head in frustration. "I still wish you'd told us about Lani and Taro sooner."

"Told you what about Lani and Taro?" said a feminine voice from behind them.

The boys turned and smiled as Lani Tam, now Lani Kitano, emerged from the crowd to greet them, hugging each of them in turn.

"It's so good to see all of you!" she exclaimed. Like Markie, Lani had not changed much over the past year. The only noticeable difference was the slight bulge just beginning to form in her lower belly.

"We heard about your parents," she said quietly, turning to Markie. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," Markie replied softly, his head bowed, and Lani reached over to embrace him once more.

Markie straightened up as she released him and said, "I was just telling Vert and Alec about all that's happened with you and Taro since the end of the World Race."

"Yeah, congratulations!" Vert interjected. "When were you married?"

"October fifth, just a few months after the race. It all happened so quickly, but neither of us wanted a long engagement." Lani smiled, and her face seemed to glow. "I've never been happier in my life! And now the baby's coming in less than five months!"

"Have you thought of any names yet?" asked Alec.

"We've thought about it, but we haven't decided on anything." She shrugged. "We've still got some time to think about it, though."

"Well, you'll have to let us know soon after the baby's born, otherwise it'll be a whole year before Markie tells us anything," Vert teased, playfully punching Markie on the arm. Markie just looked at him innocently and shrugged his shoulders.

"We'd better get going," Lani commented, glancing at her watch. "The race will be starting soon. Why don't you all come sit with me?"

"Is there room?" Alec asked incredulously.

"Oh, yes! Taro always gets me tickets for one of the luxury boxes whenever I travel with him to races. He's so sweet!"

Vert laughed. "In that case, we'll be glad to join you. Lead the way!"

* * *

Lani's box seats high above the race track were as good as the boys could have hoped. The seating was extremely comfortable, refreshments had already been laid out for them, and they were the only ones there.

"So, Taro gets you something like this for every race?" Alec inquired in amazement.

"Yes, every race I come to, at least. I especially wanted to see this one because I had hopes of meeting you guys."

"Well, I'm glad you found us," Vert commented. The box was indeed luxurious, but Lani's accommodations didn't really surprise him. Not only had Lani won five million dollars of her own as a part of Vert's victorious Wave Rippers team at the World Race, but Taro himself had been living quite affluently long before that through his success in racing and other venues.

Vert couldn't help remembering his very first meeting with Taro Kitano, in which Taro had made it quite clear that even five million dollars would not make a drastic difference in his lifestyle. Taro may have been a bit rough around the edges, but he was clearly a man of strong character, and Vert liked him a lot. He was glad that Lani had found such a good man as her husband.

"This ought to be a great race!" Markie leaned forward in his seat, his excited voice breaking into Vert's thoughts. "Kurt and Taro competed in separate races last week, but they both won. So now they're both coming in here with a lot of momentum behind them. Should make things interesting."

"Don't count Dan Dresden out, either," Vert told him. "He's really good, and I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you. He just might give those other guys a run for their money."

"Maybe," Markie admitted with a mischievous grin, "but only if he doesn't crash. He does seem to have quite a habit of doing that."

* * *

Halfway through the race, Markie's misgivings were realized when Dan Dresden was caught up in a wreck involving three other cars. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but all four cars had been damaged beyond immediate repair, and their drivers were disqualified.

But the rest of the race was as thrilling as Markie had hoped it would be. It hadn't been long before Kurt and Taro made their way to the front of the pack, and from that point on, they had only each other to battle for the lead. They were constantly alternating between first and second place, but in the end, Taro managed to pull ahead in the final lap, winning by less than half a car length.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary: **An alternative sequel to the World Race. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Hot Wheels, Mattel, etc.

**Author's Note: **Once again, I started writing this before I saw any of the AcceleRacer episodes, so things obviously don't line up with what you might expect.

**Chapter Two**

"Things are finally clearing up down there," Lani said some time after the race had ended. The four of them had stayed in their seats and talked for nearly an hour, waiting for the crowds below to dissipate.

"I'm going down to see Taro now," she continued. "You all want to come?"

"Absolutely!" Vert exclaimed as he, Alec, and Markie got to their feet and followed Lani down to the racetrack. Taro actually saw them first and walked over to meet them. He embraced Lani and shook hands with each of the boys.

"It's great to see you!" Vert said.

"It's good to see you, too, Kid," Taro replied.

"Congratulations on winning the race!" Alec exclaimed.

"Thank you," Taro said simply. As usual, he didn't say much more than was necessary. "Your brother certainly didn't make it easy for me, though," he went on, turning to Markie. "He seems to improve every time I race him." He grinned. "Although, I'm sure that's due to your influence."

Markie nodded. "Of course. We all know I'm a better driver than him, anyway."

"Yeah, you wish!" Kurt Wylde, accompanied by Dan Dresden, came up behind Markie and gently shoved him in the back.

Markie glared at his older brother. "Fancy meeting you here," he remarked.

Kurt grinned, then turned to Vert. "How you doing, Surf Rat?" he asked.

"Pretty good," Vert replied. "And you?"

"Not bad."

Vert grinned. The older divers at the World Race had originally called him "Kid" or "Surf Rat" in a derogatory sense, but by the end of the race, they had taken to using both nicknames purely in fun. He had earned their respect.

"And how've you been, Dan?" Alec spoke up. "We haven't seen or heard from you at all this past year."

"I'm doing just fine," Dan replied lightly. He was an easy-going but very dedicated and consistent individual, always on friendly terms with those around him.

"We're glad you weren't hurt in that wreck," Markie told him, shuddering slightly and glancing anxiously up at Kurt.

"Thanks," Dan said warmly. "I'm just happy you and Kurt are still hanging around a race track."

Taro nodded his agreement. "We all are. It would be perfectly understandable if the two of you wanted to avoid racing altogether, after what you've just been through."

Markie sighed quietly. "And the irony of it all is that they were always worried about us getting hurt while driving." He stopped and looked down at his shoes in silence.

"It wasn't difficult to keep racing," Kurt broke in suddenly, stepping closer to Markie and laying a hand on his shoulder. "I've always loved the speed and intensity. And especially over the past few months, it's been a good outlet for the energy and aggression I can't show anywhere else."

"Yeah, we all definitely know about that," Vert teased him, shattering the somber mood.

"Racing this past year has really been fantastic," Dan spoke up again, "but none of it even comes close to what we did on Highway 35."

"Those certainly were some good times," Lani said dreamily, smiling up at Taro.

"I've been wanting to go back to Highway 35 ever since I left," Vert commented longingly.

"The rest of us left shortly after you did," Taro told him. "Then we went our own ways, and as far as I know, no one has been back. In fact, I don't think anyone's even heard from Dr. Tezla, either."

"Dr. Tezla," Vert mused. "I wonder what he and Gig have been up to lately."

At that moment, a young man broke into their little circle.

"Excuse me," he said, "but I have several messages to deliver, and I believe all the recipients are, in fact, standing together right here. Now, let me see…" He brought out a small stack of simple envelopes and began reading off the names of the people to whom they were addressed.

"All right," he went on, "I have one for Dan Dresden, Lani Kitano, Taro Kitano, Vert Wheeler, Alec Wood, Kurt Wylde, and Mark Wylde."

Each person claimed their letter, and the messenger left them.

"One for all of us," Taro mused. "I wouldn't be surprised it they all said the same thing."

"I think you're right," Vert agreed as he began reading the brief note. "This is from Dr. Tezla! Weird that we were just talking about him. But anyway, he wants to speak with us, and he's asked us to meet him in a conference room at his hotel, tomorrow morning at ten o'clock."

"He's here?" Lani asked incredulously.

"Yep. His hotel is less than ten minutes from this track." Vert looked up and scanned the faces around him. "So, is anyone else going to show up besides me?"

"You bet, Vert," Alec answered enthusiastically.

"I'm coming," Dan put in.

Taro glanced down at Lani who gave a quick nod of her head. "We'll be there, too," he said, answering for them both.

"We'll all be there," Kurt added. "Whatever Dr. Tezla has in store for us this time, I'm sure it's something we don't want to miss."

Markie was grinning from ear to ear. There was no need to ask his opinion on the subject.

"But it's getting late now," Taro remarked, turning his gaze toward the expansive sky above them. The stars were just beginning to flicker in the East; and in the West, the clouds were splashed, and the sky streaked, with the brilliant, flaming colors of the fading sun.

"You're right," Dan agreed. "We should probably split up now and head back to our own hotels for the night. But, of course, we'll meet up again in the morning."

"Right," Lani said. "See you all tomorrow!"

With that, the group of friends split up and went their separate ways. But even after saying good-bye to the others, Vert, Alec, and Markie remained together.

"Hey, I know you guys live around here, but why don't you come spend the night with us?" Markie asked them. "That is," he added hastily, looking at Kurt, "if it's all right with you?"

"That's fine," his brother replied. "There should be plenty of room."

"Thanks," Vert and Alec both told him.

"Are you heading over there right away?" Kurt asked them.

"Not yet," Markie answered. "We were just gonna hang out for a while, cruise the town. Wanna come?"

Kurt shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm beat. I'm turning in for the night."

"Okay," Markie told him. "We'll be there in a couple of hours."

"Don't be out too late," Kurt cautioned them as they were walking away. "And please at least try stay out of trouble!"

"Don't we always?" Markie called back over his shoulder before the three friends hurried off into the twilight.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary:** An alternative sequel to World enjoy, and as always, feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters or ideas, I just play around with them.

**Author's Note:** This is the chapter when the plot finally begins to really develop, but I still have only a vague idea of where it's all going from here. Any input is appreciated. Thanks a lot!

**Chapter Three**

"Wake up, you guys, it's nine thirty!"

Vert and Alec both groaned and rolled over, burying their faces in the pillows as Kurt Wylde's voice broke roughly into their dreams. Markie didn't even stir. Kurt laughed.

"So, how late were you out last night?" he asked, standing over them.

"I don't know," Vert mumbled into the pillows. "We were back at the hotel by midnight, but then we spent a few hours down in the game room."

"Right: a few hours, or all night?"

"Probably more like all night," Vert admitted grudgingly, "but at least we didn't wake you up when we came back."

"Yeah, thanks, I appreciate that. But you guys do need to get up if we're gonna make it to Tezla's hotel by ten."

"How far away is it?" Alec asked sleepily.

"About fifteen minutes."

"All right, we're up." Vert yawned and stretched. "Or at least Alec and I are," he added with an amused glance at Markie, still sound asleep.

"Markie! Wake up!" Kurt called, shaking his younger brother by the shoulder. Markie simply shrugged off his touch and continued sleeping.

"I swear, he's learned to completely ignore me any time before ten or eleven in the morning," Kurt told them. "Now I know how my mom must have felt with both of us." He paused and glared down at Markie's sleeping form. "I'll be right back," he said suddenly and left the room.

Vert and Alec exchanged confused glances but quickly dressed and helped themselves to the donuts Kurt had been kind enough to leave out. The elder Wylde brother returned to the room shortly, carrying a bucket of ice.

"Care to do the honors?" he inquired, holding the bucket out to Vert and Alec.

"You sure?" Alec asked.

"It's no more than he deserves," Kurt replied simply.

"In that case," Vert said, grinning slyly, "it'll be a pleasure."

He and Alec then took the ice and proceeded to give Markie a rather rude awakening.

* * *

Once they were reunited at Dr. Tezla's hotel, the racers encountered yet another very familiar and friendly face.

"Banjee!" Vert exclaimed, hurrying forward to shake the Puerto Rican driver's hand.

"Hey, good to see you all again!" Banjee Castillo replied as he greeted each of the other drivers in turn. "It's been a while."

"It sure has," Markie emphatically agreed. "None of us had heard from you at all this past year."

Banjee just shrugged. "I've been busy," he said with a mischievous grin.

Vert shook his head in amusement. For many drivers in the World Race, Banjee Castillo's involvement had been one of the highlights of the event. He was simply as friendly and fun-loving as any individual could be, but he was also an intense racer, always a force to be reckoned with on the track. Even now, his mere presence was enough to raise the spirits of everyone in the room.

"Hey, have you seen Dr. Tezla yet?" Vert asked him.

Banjee nodded. "I spoke with him a little last night when I first got here, but I haven't seen him since. I don't know where he is right now. Maybe he's just slow when it comes to getting important things done? That would explain why he's always dragging us in to race for him."

"Is that why we're here?" Kurt inquired. "To race in Highway 35 for him again?"

"I think so. From looking at all you guys, I'd say he was working up a sort of reunion for some of the World Race drivers."

"Is anyone else coming?" Taro asked him.

Banjee shook his head. "I don't think so. I know Tezla asked Kadeem to come, but he's got too many things that need to be straightened out back home first, so he couldn't make it."

"That's too bad," Vert said. "I would've like to see him again."

"Well from what Dr. Tezla told me, it sounds like that money you gave him a year ago is making a world of difference in his hometown," Banjee assured him. "If he had the chance, I'm sure he would thank you again many times over."

Vert grinned and was about to reply, but at that moment, the door to the conference room opened, and Dr. Peter Tezla, accompanied by his robotic assistant Gig, entered.

"I'm glad to see that you are all here," Dr. Tezla said immediately before anyone else could speak. "Now, let's get right down to business, shall we? First of all, I have summoned you here to celebrate the one year anniversary of your completion of Highway 35." He paused briefly and looked directly at Vert, the winner of the World Race, who nodded slightly in acknowledgement before the doctor went on. "And secondly, I would like to invite you all back for the continuation of that journey."

"You mean finding the Wheel of Power wasn't the end of the race?" Dan Dresden interjected.

"It certainly was _an_ end, but not _the _end. Upon further research, Gig and I believe we have discovered that there is even more to the track than we saw a year ago."

"You 'believe,'" Kurt spoke up. "Does that mean you aren't sure?"

Dr. Tezla regarded him silently for a moment. During the World Race, Kurt's initial mistrust of Tezla had lead him to work undercover for Gelorum, a robot woman whose intentions toward the human drivers in the race had been deadly, though Kurt had not known it until the end. Once her true nature was revealed, Kurt had turned against her and helped Vert and the others return the Wheel of Power to its proper place in Hot Wheels City. But it was no mystery that a certain element of mistrust still lingered between the doctor and the former Street Breed team captain after those nearly catastrophic events.

"We do have strong reason to believe," Dr. Tezla finally responded, "but I admit we have no irrefutable proof that Highway 35 continues. That is why you are all here. I need a handful of the best drivers who are willing to return and explore – those who possess the courage to take a calculated risk."

It was a verbal jab aimed subtly at him, Kurt knew, but he made no retort.

"Should you all agree, I do not anticipate having to recruit any more drivers for the task. There are only eight of you here, but it will be enough. Furthermore, this time I would prefer to work more closely with a smaller group of drivers."

"That's fine with us," Banjee complied on behalf of the group, "but how exactly does the track continue?"

Dr. Tezla explained, "You will recall that the city containing the Wheel of Power at the supposed end of Highway 35 was surrounded by a vast sea. We believe that there is another track or even a series of tracks beneath the water, no doubt made possible by large underwater tubes or tunnels. The fact that this particular area did not need to be raced in order to reach the Wheel of Power implies that there is a different motive or incentive for completing it."

"And what might this 'motive' or 'incentive' be?" asked Taro, his expression deep and thoughtful.

"We honestly do not know," Dr. Tezla admitted. "That is one of the many things you would have to discover as you went through it."

Lani was the next to pose a question. "How do we enter the new track?"

"We've been entering the city through the portal just as you did last year. But after careful exploration, we have discovered one particular section of track that goes straight through the city: it never loops around like the others or even changes direction once. It simply comes to an abrupt end right in front of the water.

"The experimental cars we've sent in have made the jump off this section of track, and every time, just before they hit the water, another portal opens, and the cars disappear. Unfortunately, we've lost communication with every one of them after that. Whether it's because they've gone through a different portal or because they're submerged under water, we don't know."

"But you're certain there is a portal in the water at that particular spot?" Alec asked.

"Positive," Dr. Tezla continued. "And if a group of you went in together, I'm quite sure you'd still be able to communicate with each other, but not with me back at headquarters. I know how to get you inside the new track, but I cannot tell you what to expect, or even how to get back out for certain at the end."

"It is a calculated risk, to be sure," Taro said, nodding. "But I'm in."

"Then I'm going with you," Lani added, taking her husband's hand in her own.

In the moments that followed, the rest of the drivers agreed one by one to partake in the new expedition. All but Kurt, who still seemed very uneasy about the whole idea.

"C'mon, Kurt," Markie pleaded with him, "you've gotta come! Please? I'd feel a lot better if I knew you were there, too."

Kurt snorted softly. "That's funny. I was just thinking how I'd feel a lot better if I knew you _weren't_ there."

"And what do you mean by that?" Markie asked, confused.

"I mean there were too many close calls last time, Markie," Kurt explained quietly, laying a steady hand on his brother's shoulder. "And I don't want you to be in danger like that again. I couldn't bear to lose you, too – not now."

The room was suddenly deathly still as the other racers waited patiently at a respectful distance for the suddenly sensitive moment to pass.

"I understand," Markie replied seriously, "but I really want to be in this race. I know it's risky, but at least we shouldn't have to worry about that Gelorum lady and her racing drones this time around. Besides, you're the one who was always telling me that you've got to take chances to win. Now, I say either we both race, or we both go home – no splitting us up."

Kurt nodded slowly, all the while fighting back a proud, subtle smile at his brother's words. "All right. If you're sure you want to do this, I will, too." He turned to Dr. Tezla. "Count us in."

"Good," Dr. Tezla replied, "then meet me back at the headquarters from last year in two days' time. I will be expecting you."


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary: **An alternative sequel to the World Race. Written after seeing WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Enjoy and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the cars, characters, etc. in this story

**Author's Note:** Yay, Chapter Four is up at last! Thanks everyone for your patience. And special thanks to all you reviewers - you're an inspiration! So, without further ado, here's Chapter Four. Hope you like it!

**Chapter Four**

Two short days later, the drivers were united once again in Dr. Tezla's familiar headquarters. They had each brought their cars from the previous year and were anxious to begin racing again. All they needed now was the green light from Dr. Tezla; but upon welcoming them back, he told them quite firmly that they would have to wait until the following morning to enter Highway 35, instructing them to rest and save their energy for the remainder of the day.

"Why is he always telling us to 'get some rest' because 'we'll need it'? I mean, seriously, couldn't he think of something more original after a while?" Markie grumbled impatiently after Dr. Tezla had dismissed them.

Vert only grinned and shrugged his shoulders in response. The drivers were now headed toward their sleeping quarters. During the World Race, each of the five racing teams had been assigned separate wings with numerous rooms in which the drivers would be housed, but this year, only one wing was required for the lot of them.

"Man, only eight drivers this time instead of the thirty-five we had last year. This is gonna be different," Banjee commented as he dropped his bag on the bed in one of the rooms. "You sure it's safe to have all of us confined in a small area like this?" he asked, walking back out to the common room in the middle of their sleeping quarters.

Alec answered him, "Yeah, I think we'll be all right now that Kurt and Markie are back on friendly terms." He chuckled suddenly. "Can you imagine how terrible things would've been if we'd had these sleeping arrangements last year? They would've killed each other!"

"But at least things would've been quiet after that," a grinning Banjee pointed out, and Alec readily agreed with him, laughing out loud at the remark.

* * *

Dr. Tezla assembled them all again later that day as he addressed some of the finer details of the expedition. Should they make it out of the track like he was hoping, he planned to pay each of them two million dollars simply for participating, with an additional three million going to the winner of the race. And anything of value that they might find at the end of the underwater track, they were to hand over to Dr. Tezla himself for further study. All the drivers agreed to the terms, though some of them with more obvious reluctance than others.

The rest of the day dragged slowly on, the drivers growing increasingly restless. They took a brief practice run across the vast, empty desert surrounding Dr. Tezla's headquarters, and Taro won, while Kurt passed Banjee at the last moment to steal second place.

"You know, why don't we just send Kurt and Taro into the track by themselves? 'Cause apparently they don't need much help from the rest of us mere mortals," Markie later expressed his frustration to Dan Dresden as they and the other drivers prepared their cars for the next day's race.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Markie," Dan encouraged him.

"Yeah, or on the rest of us either, for that matter," Vert said as he walked up behind them. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing."

Markie shrugged. "That's okay. But, you guys do get what I'm saying, right? I mean, sometimes I just wonder why the rest of us even bother."

"I can relate to that," Dan told him, slowly nodding his head. "But I think experience proves that literally anything can happen in a given race. I mean, just think back to the World Race last year, Markie. No one on the Wave Rippers team won any of the first three legs, or even managed a close second. But then, in the final leg, Vert surprised us all and won. I say 'surprised' because, honestly, none of the older drivers really expected much from the Wave Rippers. Sorry, Vert," Dan added hastily with a glance at the younger driver.

Vert only grinned. "Hey, I'm not mad. After all, I got the last laugh, didn't I?"

"You certainly did." Dan's voice was laced with grim amusement. "But that's the last time the rest of us will underestimate you punk kids," he teased them.

"Good!" Markie exclaimed, his spirits lifting considerably. He then glanced down at his car's chronometer and groaned. "Oh, man, it's only seven o'clock, and there's nothing else I can do now to get my car ready. Could this night go any slower?"

"Hey," Dan broke in, "I've got a deck of cards, and it looks like pretty much everybody else is done working on their cars for tonight, too. What do you say we recruit a couple more people to join us in a little game of poker?"

Markie's face lit up. "Yeah, Dan, that'd be great! Vert, you wanna play?"

Vert nodded. "Sure, but you guys'll have to refresh my memory. I'm afraid I haven't played in a while."

"No problem," Dan told him. "It'll come back to you quickly, just like riding a bike or driving stick-shift."

* * *

Not long afterward, all eight drivers were comfortably situated in the common room near their sleeping quarters, deeply engrossed in a game of poker. Wanting to keep the mood as friendly as possible, they had decided to bet with something besides money – a "something" that Banjee provided by opening up the large bags of Skittles and Starburst he had brought along for the trip.

"Banjee, what on earth possessed you to bring all this candy?" Taro asked, a bemused grin playing across his usually stony features. "How long did you think we were going to be here?"

Banjee shrugged and replied in his usual carefree way, "I figured we wouldn't be here for much more than a week, but with Tezla, you never know. I wanted to be prepared. Oh, I've still got some Twizzlers back in my room if anybody wants some later. I left 'em cause they're a little big to use as betting material."

"You didn't happen to bring anything chocolate, did you?" Lani asked abruptly, her voice hopeful.

Banjee shook his head. "No, sorry, I'm not a big fan of chocolate." He grinned suddenly. "Why, are you having cravings, or something like that?"

His question drew out a long-suffering sigh from Taro who was deliberately nodding his head. "You would not believe how much chocolate ice cream she's gone through these past few months," he told them.

"And what's so wrong with that?" Lani demanded, pretending to be annoyed with him as she absently patted her swelling stomach. "It's perfectly natural."

Taro chuckled in reply, reaching over to take her slender hand in his own. "Just promise me you'll be especially careful when we race tomorrow," he said, his eyes almost pleading.

"Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine," she told him and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Kurt then spoke up. "And, Lani, if those chocolate ice cream cravings get really bad while we're here, just let us know, and one of us will be happy to drive into town and get you some."

Lani smiled warmly in appreciation. "Thanks a lot, you guys. But lucky for you, I think a few cherry Starbursts will hold me over for tonight."

Her companions laughed at that, and the card game continued for another two hours before the drivers finally decided to turn in for the night. But with energizing thoughts of tomorrow's race constantly bombarding their minds, it was still a long time before most of them actually fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

If any of the drivers were running short on sleep the following morning, however, it didn't show. Except for Taro who was as calm and collected as ever, they were all anxious to begin, unable to sit still through breakfast. And later that morning, Dr. Tezla finally gave the signal for them to assemble with their cars outside the headquarters. The racers lined their cars up side by side in one long row, waiting impatiently for the red signal to turn while memories from the World Race only one year ago darted through their minds, some memories pleasant, some painful.

The signal blinked to yellow.

Vert sighed almost inaudibly to release some to the tension in his coiled muscles. Things were about to happen. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and revved his car's engine in eager anticipation.

The signal turned green.

Vert slammed on the accelerator, a wide smile spreading across his face as the familiar thrill of racing coursed through him. "Here we go again," he whispered.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary: **An alternate sequel for the World Race movie. Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to review.

**Disclaimer:** As always, I don't own any Hot Wheels/Mattel cars, characters, et.

**Author's Note:** Wow, you reviewers are just awesome! Thanks for all your speedy responses to the last chapter! See, I told ya the next update would be quicker, and the next one should be, too. Okay, I know that this underwater track sounds a lot like the beginning of the Water Realm from Speed of Silence, but I promise, I had this idea long before I saw the movie, so please bear with me. Thanks a lot, and enjoy!

**Chapter Five**

"Here we go again," Vert whispered to himself as he felt the Deora II lurch forward beneath him. He spared a glance out his window at Alec who was running neck-and-neck beside him.

Banjee was the first to use his Nitrox 2 booster and pulled ahead of the other drivers who quickly followed his example, the desert sand rising up in a great cloud behind them. And then, some distance ahead of the racers, a familiar portal appeared, opening up to welcome them back to Highway 35.

For a moment, Vert could only stare at the portal's mesmerizing swirl of color, and though he had seen it so many times before, the whole experience suddenly seemed very unreal. But then an excited cry from Banjee pulled Vert out of his reverie, and he closed in on the Puerto Rican driver, coming up right behind him as the portal embraced them both.

After a fleeting sensation of being jerked from the inside out, Banjee and Vert exited the portal and landed once again in Hot Wheels City, their companions following immediately after. Vert couldn't help grinning. The city was exactly as he remembered it, with the Wheel of Power still happily situated atop the tallest spire in the middle of the metropolis, right where they had left it just one short year ago. The Wheel's potentially destructive power was a lesson they had learned the hard way.

"Can everyone still hear me?" Dr. Tezla's voice came over the communicator, and all the drivers responded with an affirmative.

"Good," the doctor continued. "Now, I will direct you to the underwater track." He quickly guided them through the city's maze of streets until they were all on the appropriate stretch of track that would take them to their destination.

"Simply stay on this road until it ends right before the water," Dr. Tezla further instructed them.

"And then we're supposed to just drive blindly off into the sea, is that it?" Kurt suddenly questioned, his voice retaining a trace of the skepticism he had felt a few days earlier when the drivers had first been informed of their mission.

"Why, yes, of course," Tezla coolly replied. "That's what you agreed to do, is it not?"

Kurt ground his teeth together, but said nothing. He could almost imagine the smirk on the doctor's calm, calculating face.

Dr. Tezla went on, "Once you are under the water, you will lose contact with me, and the rest will be entirely up to you. I hope the whole affair will not take too long, but all the same, I won't worry too much unless you still aren't out after a full two days."

"Great," Kurt muttered under his breath, "I'm glad you're so concerned."

"What was that, Kurt?" Markie's voice abruptly came from over the communicator as he pulled his car up next to his brother's.

"Nothing, Markie, don't worry about it," Kurt hastily told him. _What the heck are we doing here?_ he suddenly thought, an unfamiliar panic twisting a hard knot in his stomach. He shook his head furiously and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

_What's wrong with me? _he thought, frustrated with himself. He usually had nerves of steel on any track. The only other time he'd ever felt this panicked during a race was…. Kurt suddenly froze. _Markie. _

The last time he'd lost his cool like this was in the World Race last year, when Markie had run into some mines that Gelorum's drone racers had left on the track. The drones had refused to obey his demands that the mines be detonated before the other racers reached them, and Markie had almost died as a result. Kurt looked over at his brother's car beside him.

_What if something really does happen to him this time?_ The thought came into Kurt's mind unbidden and simply refused to be driven out. _I was the one who allowed him to race. I can't even blame Tezla for asking him. I let him come. It would be all my fault._

Somehow, that mere thought was even more painful than receiving the news of his parents' death, and he was helpless to resist the fiercely protective urge that now clawed relentlessly at his heart, painfully tightening his chest in apprehension.

_Please be careful, Markie,_ he pleaded wordlessly.

But it was too late to turn back now, for the sea was rapidly approaching, and Dr. Tezla was addressing them once more, perhaps for the last time.

"Good luck, racers," he said softly before severing the connection between them. The drivers were on their own.

Though the racers had managed to stay close together since first coming out of the portal, Banjee had maintained his lead; and as the track finally came to an abrupt end, he led his fellow racers in their leap of faith out into the open water and the unknown.

Kurt followed Dan Dresden off the jump, and while they were airborne, his eyes darted worriedly over at Markie who was still beside him, even in the air.

_I won't let anything happen to you, little brother,_ he vowed silently as the water rushed up to meet them. _I promise._

* * *

Just as they were about to hit the surface of the water, another portal opened up from out of nowhere and drew them in, just as Dr. Tezla had predicted. The portal then deposited them onto an underwater track, encased in a giant, transparent tube. While there were obviously no jumps on this track, it still had a great number of loops and perilously sharp turns.

"Something's not right here," Taro said slowly into his communicator after they had been driving for a while. "I would have expected a hidden track like this to be harder than the rest of Highway 35, but this almost seems easier."

"You're right," Dan agreed with him. "The track's layout is a bit tricky to navigate, but there's really nothing here to slow us down. Look, even the water is dead."

He was right. A sea of that size should have been teeming with life of some kind, even if it was alien to humans; but instead, the water seemed to stretch on endlessly, empty and lifeless.

"All the same," Kurt broke in, "I say we stick together until we know more about exactly what we're dealing with here." Everyone agreed to that, for the dead stillness that surrounded them on all sides was quite unnerving.

"Man, this is kinda creepy," Alec said uneasily.

Vert nodded his agreement. Through years of surfing off the coasts of Southern California, he and Alec had experienced many encounters with marine life, and being in a lifeless sea now felt totally unnatural.

"This can't be right, we've got to come across something before the end," he said at last.

And yet, when they had only been driving on the track for about half an hour, they rounded a corner into a straightaway, and there at the end was another portal.

"No way!" Markie exclaimed in disgust. "We haven't really done anything yet! This can't be the end."

"Maybe it's not," Taro calmly told him just before the portal swept them up in its embrace.

* * *

The racers dropped out of the portal and looked around.

"Hey, we're right back where we started," Banjee said, staring in disbelief at the empty waters still outside the clear tubing. "What in the world is going on here?"

"Are you sure we're back on the same track?" Lani asked him. "I don't remember if it started exactly like this."

Thrown off by the identical surroundings, no one really knew for certain whether they were on the same track again or on a new one; but as they rounded the track's first sharp turn, the question was suddenly answered for them, and they all screeched to a halt. They were definitely on a new track now, because waiting directly up ahead, their cars sitting ominously on the side of the track, were drones.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary: **An alternate sequel for the World Race. Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** As you all know by now, I don't own anything Hot Wheels, Mattel, etc.

**Author's Note: **Once again, many thanks to you ever-consistent reviewers! Your feedback is always so very encouraging, I love it! Okay now, this chapter is mostly talking, but it's very important because it answers all your "burning" questions from the previous chapter in great detail and basically sets up the rest of the story. But enough of me, I'll finally let you get on to the story now. Enjoy!

**Chapter Six**

"We've got trouble," Taro said evenly, his voice betraying none of the panic that now gripped the other drivers.

"Whatta we do, Kurt?" Markie finally asked after a moment of tense silence.

"I'm not sure," Kurt confessed nervously. These drones looked an awful lot like the ones Gelorum had used against them during the World Race, though perhaps a bit more advanced. But there was no way they were going to get another opportunity to hurt his brother – not if he had anything to say about it!

"They seem to be waiting for us," Dan's voice broke into his thoughts, "and now they're still just standing there. Maybe we should talk to them, see what's going on or what it is they want."

"I agree," Taro put in. "They don't look like they want to hurt us."

"Not yet, anyway," Banjee added grimly.

Nevertheless, the drivers all got out of their cars and walked slowly over toward the drones, coming to a stop while there was still plenty of space between the two groups. The tallest of the drones then stepped forward, away from the others, and spread its arms out in front of itself in a gesture of greeting.

"Welcome!" it called to them. "And well done, for this track was not accessible to humans until the Wheel of Power was removed and then returned. You completed the first part of Highway 35 marvelously, and on behalf of the AcceleRons, we congratulate you."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Vert felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He felt proud, honored even, to have his deeds of the previous year recognized by even the original builders of Highway 35.

The drone continued, "And now it is our duty to welcome you to the continuation of Highway 35."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Kurt finally stepped forward and brusquely asked the question that had been plaguing his mind since he first saw the drones. "Are you working for Gelorum?"

The tall drone hesitated, almost as though it were thinking. At last, it responded, "We know this Gelorum of whom you speak. She was the Rebel, the leader of the first group of rogue drones created by the AcceleRons. They were given the ability for much independent thought and even emotions, things foreign to myself and my fellows."

Kurt nodded slowly. Gelorum and her drones last year had been openly malicious and extremely clever for robotic minds. But the drones here seemed just the opposite, their faces all bearing the same emotionless, changeless expressions.

"Gelorum and her followers revolted against their makers and began acting on their own initiative," the drone leader continued. "Soon, they grew too dangerous and were discarded by the AcceleRons. But if you have recently had contact with her, it is logical to assume that she is still functioning here on earth. My masters will be glad to know of this, for I believe they were previously unaware.

"My comrades and I are part of the second group of drones constructed for the use of the AcceleRons. Our brains do not have as much freedom or ingenuity as those of our predecessors, and thus our loyalty and obedience are more assured. Furthermore, we incapable of deviating from the strict orders we are given."

Mildly relieved, Kurt sighed. At least _that _was a good thing. Wasn't it?

"And what _are_ your orders, exactly?" Taro interrupted, his face still imperturbably calm.

"To race against all of you in this second half of Highway 35," the drone responded. "The track you recently completed was merely a practice run. Now, the actual contest begins. You may have noticed that this track is very similar to the previous one, and you are correct, to a certain extent. The setting is exactly the same, but the track itself is entirely different, with a different layout of turns and loops. All the tracks will be as such: the same setting with different layout."

"All the tracks?" Dan inquired, as confused as everyone else.

The drone nodded. "When you go through the portal at the end of this track, you will be automatically transported to the beginning of another track such as this; though, of course, it will have a different layout."

"Yeah, yeah, we get that the tracks change every time we go through a portal," a frustrated Banjee interrupted. "But then what? Is this just a never-ending race, or something?"

"Not at all," the drone captain replied smoothly. "When you first entered this underwater track, identical sensors were placed in each of your cars. Our own vehicles are equipped with similar sensors, though ours obviously broadcast a different signal. At the end of every track, the last human driver and the last drone racer to finish will be eliminated from the remainder of the race.

"The human driver will be transported back up to city on the surface to await the outcome of the race, and the drone racer will simply be deactivated since its purpose for existing is now fulfilled. The sensors mentioned earlier will tell the portal how to deal with each car that places last, while the rest continue on to the next track.

"The race will continue in such a manner until only two competitors remain: one of you and one of us. These two, the best of both sides, will enter the final track and race for the ultimate prize."

"And what might this 'ultimate prize' be, now that the Wheel of Power no longer seems to be an issue?" Kurt asked.

The drone regarded him steadily for a moment before finally saying, without a hint of emotion in its robotic voice, "It is quite simple, really. On this track, you will be racing for your lives."

* * *

The drivers all froze suddenly, trying frantically to absorb what they'd just been told. Banjee recovered first.

"What do you mean, 'racing for our lives'?" he demanded.

"I mean that there is no additional incentive for you in this race. But should you lose, your own lives will be forfeit," the drone replied stoically.

"But how?" Lani wondered. "You said earlier that the eliminated human drivers would be brought back up to the city. I don't see how that endangers our very lives!"

"I did say you would be returned to the city," the captain answered her, "but I never said you would be able to leave. When you are transported to the city, the portal back to your own world will no longer be functioning. And the only way it will ever open again is if your driver defeats ours in the final track. But if we win, you will be trapped forever in Highway 35."

"Until we starve to death, you mean!" Alec snapped.

"Or until you die of thirst," the undaunted robot continued impassively. "This sea is the only source of water, and it is my understanding that humans cannot ingest saltwater."

"But wait!" Markie spoke up excitedly. "The city is in the same leg as the ice track. Couldn't we just go back there and at least live off all that snow for a while?"

"You are clever, young one," the drone commended him. "However, my masters have considered the possibility, and when you entered this track, invisible shielding was activated just outside the city. You cannot leave it now."

"Oh," Markie whispered, his face downcast.

"But why?" Kurt argued, carefully positioning himself between the drones and his brother, though trying to be as discreet about it as possible for Markie's sake. "Why put our lives at stake like this, especially when all our survivals will eventually rest on only one person?"

The drone's answer was immediate. "Again, the answer is simple. The AcceleRons wanted us, their finest creations, to race against humans who were also at their very best. And it was our masters' belief that there could be no greater motivation for the human being than to protect its own existence, or the existence of it comrades."

The drivers exchanged anxious looks. That stupid drone had a point!

"May we have a few moments to discuss all this before the race starts?" Taro asked after a brief pause.

The drone captain nodded. "Of course. Although, I must warn you of one more thing: we have been programmed to match your own display of aggression during the race. For every one of us that you should crash, be it intentionally or by accident, we will likewise crash one of you.

"And should a driver's car be damaged beyond repair, he must be picked up by one of his companions, otherwise he will remain in this track regardless of the ultimate outcome of the race. For once this underwater section of Highway 35 has been completed, you will not be able to enter it again. Bear this in mind as you make your plans. We will prepare our vehicles while you talk. Let us know when you are ready to begin."

"Thank you," Taro acknowledged, and the drivers collectively withdrew back to where their cars sat waiting.

* * *

Vert was the first to speak. "We really have to do this, don't we?" he asked, his voice grave. "I mean, there's no way out of it."

"Yeah," Dan told him. "We have no choice but to go through with this, but the least we can do is try to work out a strategy of some kind that will give us the best possible odds. Is that why you called for this 'war council,' Taro?"

Taro nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is. We need to consider all the possible implications based on what we know so far."

"What we know," Kurt said bitterly, "is that one of us is gonna have to race against one of those rotten drones, probably that Captain who did all the talking, in order to save the lives of everyone else here. Now, I think you all know that I'm not one to back down from a competition, but I truly believe it would be best if this time we put aside competition with each other and focused on beating those drones so we can all get out of here alive."

"I agree," Taro interjected. "We need to put survival ahead of trying to beat each other. That's what I wanted to make clear to all of you when I asked for some time to talk. And as a solution, I suggest that we designate someone now to race in the final track, meaning that the rest of us will deliberately lose in the earlier legs because we trust him, or her," he quickly added with a respectful nod toward Lani, "to do the best out of all of us in the end."

"Good idea, Taro," Banjee agreed at once. "But choosing one of us is gonna be tricky. 'Cause everyone here is a great driver, obviously, but who can best handle the pressure of driving to save peoples' lives?"

"And there will be other stress factors, as well," Lani added. "Remember that the practice track took about half an hour to complete. If there are eight of us here and we have to go through eight different tracks to narrow it down to just one person, that one person will have to drive nonstop for at least four hours. It'll add physical fatigue on top of the emotional and psychological stress that already exists. It's a lot to ask of a person."

"It is a lot," Taro concurred. "And, Lani, even though we all know you're an excellent driver, I don't want you to go through all that, especially not now with the baby and everything."

Lani laughed. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to ask me to save all our lives. I'm perfectly happy leaving that to you boys."

"I vote we let Taro go through to the end," Markie abruptly suggested, his expression thoughtful. "He finished well during most of the World Race last year, and he's also driven great while we've been here this time around." He turned to look Taro squarely in the eye. "I really think you'd stand the best chance of winning."

"Markie's right," Alec added, nodding. "Taro's always managed to stay calm, even when the rest of us were freaking out. He should race in the end."

One by one, each of the eight drivers, including Taro himself, agreed that he was the best choice for the mission. Then, after further deliberation, they chose Kurt as a backup just in case something were to happen to Taro. Meanwhile, as long as Taro or Kurt made it to the final track, the other drivers would be free to enjoy competition amongst themselves and the drones, trying to stay in the race for as long as possible.

"Just remember not to crash the drones," Kurt cautioned his younger companions. "We don't want to get them mad at us or have one of you accidentally get left behind."

Markie merely dismissed the warning with a wave of his hand. "No problem, Kurt, we know. Don't worry about us."

_Don't worry? If only it were that simple, _Kurt thought desperately. _Isn't this exactly what I was afraid of? Markie's life is in danger again because of those blasted drones, and there's really nothing I can do about it. Why are such important things always beyond my control? _He sighed in sad resignation and watched as Taro approached the drone Captain once again.

"We're ready," Taro said simply.

The Captain inclined its head slightly in acknowledgment. "Excellent. Then let the race begin."


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary: **An alternative sequel to the World Race movie. Written after I saw WR many times but before I knew about AcceleRacers. I hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer: **Same as ever, I don't own any Hot Wheels/Mattel cars, places, characters, etc. I just play around with them.

**Author's Note: **Yay, the race has finally begun! Thanks, everyone, for sticking with me through the rather lengthy and detailed last chapter. It was a handful, I know, but this one's a bit shorter, hope you don't mind too much. I try to keep my chapter lengths about the same, but hey, nobody's perfect. Thanks also for your awesome reviews, they're my motivation to keep updating quickly and efficiently! Okay, so enjoy this next chapter, and I'll talk to you all soon!

**Chapter Seven**

The drivers lined up beside the drones in two rows of four and anxiously awaited the signal to start the race. Taro looked over at Lani who had pulled up next to him.

"Please be careful," he begged her earnestly.

But Lani only smiled sweetly at him. "Don't worry, Taro dear," she assured him yet again. "I'll stay behind the rest of you and get out after this first track."

Taro sighed, relieved. With her hormones so out of whack these past couple months, Lani had gotten to be a bit unpredictable at times. He had somehow feared that she would now resent him for not wanting her to compete in the whole race, but she seemed to be taking it surprisingly well.

"Thank you," he said, returning her smile.

Lani nodded. "It's the least I can do, really. You have to focus on winning right now, which _will_ be very tough, and the last thing you need is to be worrying about me and the baby. Just remember, I'll be waiting for you up in the City after you win the last leg of the race, and then we can go home." She blew him a quick kiss. "I love you, and I'll see you at the finish line."

Taro laughed. "Thanks, hon. I love you, too." He then turned his full attention back to the race at hand as the starting signal atop the drone Captain's car flashed yellow.

* * *

Directly behind Taro and Lani, Kurt Wylde solemnly watched their interaction. He heard little of what was said, but he could guess the subject of their conversation easily enough. No doubt Taro had asked Lani to get eliminated from the race early on, probably in the first leg, and judging from how their talk had ended, she had complied with little or no resistance.

Kurt sighed miserably and squeezed his eyes shut, briefly leaning his elbows against the steering wheel and resting his head in his hands. Taro was extremely fortunate to have that particular issue resolved so easily. He raised his head and stared for a moment at Markie, who was up in the front row a couple of cars down from him. Markie would never agree to back out of a race like this, even though it would remove an incredible weight from his brother's shoulders.

_I don't know how I'm gonna stay focused as long as he's still driving,_ Kurt mused, his face drawn in anguished concern. _He's good, I admit it, but he can't be _that_ good just yet. He's still just a kid with a lot to learn. Wait a minute – yeah, that's it! In a crowd of more experienced drivers like this, he's bound to lose before we're even halfway done._

The thought calmed him temporarily, but that irrepressible worry continued to weigh heavily on the back of his mind, always seeking entrance to the forefront of his consciousness.

_Come on, get a grip!_ he scolded himself sternly. _I've been driving under pressure for years. Markie will be fine! Besides, it's up to Taro to win this thing, not me. I've just gotta stay with him for as long as I can in case something goes horribly wrong, which it shouldn't. Plus, it's too late to change anything now. Let's just get this over and done with!_

Furiously shaking his head, Kurt suppressed the nagging voice of worry in his mind; but he knew that it was still there, whispering to him quietly yet incessantly. It was like a spider web clinging to his face that refused to be brushed away no matter how many times he wiped his hand across it. It was still there.

It would always be there.

But there was no more time to think. The starting signal finally turned to green, and the race was on.

* * *

The remainder of the first track was more or less what the drivers had been expecting, and it was about as long as the first. Things also went about as smoothly as anyone could have hoped, with Taro leading the human racers and staying immediately behind the drone Captain who was the overall leader thus far.

"I think I'll try to stay right behind him until we hit the last track," Taro told his companions as they zipped around another tight curve.

"Good plan, Taro," Dan replied, then added, "but save your Nitrox in case you need an extra boost near the end. I don't think anyone's used it since we went underwater, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on this track."

Taro nodded, even though Dan couldn't see it. "Right, Dresden." He paused. "Do you think these drones' vehicles are equipped with Nitrox?"

"Gelorum's drone racers had it," Kurt answered at once. "But I don't know if she got the technology from the AcceleRons or from Tezla."

Banjee spoke up. "If she stole the idea from Dr. Tezla, then these guys might not have anything like it. But if she was using it before she raced us, then…I don't know what to expect."

"We'll wait and see, Banjee," Taro told him. "With any luck, we'll know exactly what their cars are capable of by the time we reach the final track. But until then, you're right: it's all guesswork. And be careful, will ya?"

"What?" Banjee exclaimed as he swerved recklessly around the other cars. "I know what I'm doing! We're all professionals here, remember?"

"Well, not all of us exactly," Alec interrupted, exchanging grins with Vert and Markie who both drove near him.

"All the same, Banjee, you're getting awfully close to the drones," Taro insisted. "How 'bout toning it down a little?"

Banjee conceded, "Okay, okay. I'll try not to be too reckless from now on."

"Good," Taro acknowledged. "Thank you."

One more turn, and the portal at the end of the first track awaited them. Just before he hit the portal, Taro glanced in his rearview mirror and sighed deeply. True to her word, Lani had stayed at the back of the field through the entire track and would be the first human driver eliminated from the competition. She would be sent back to Hot Wheels City to await the final outcome of the race.

For the moment, at least, Lani and her baby were safe!


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary: **An alternative sequel for the World Race movie. Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Hope you find it interesting, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it, so don't worry.

**Author's Note: **Just to warn you all, I won't be describing every moment of every leg/track of the race in great detail. Don't worry, you'll get everything important, but not much by way of "play by play" action. So, sorry if my writing style isn't your favorite, but I hope you still enjoy the story itself. Thanks a bunch for your patience and understanding! And hooray for more quick reviews, you guys make my day! I look forward to hearing from you again soon! Enjoy!

**Chapter Eight**

The portal deposited the remaining drivers, all of them now male, onto the second underwater track. They had previously decided not to include the initial practice run in their list of completed tracks since its outcome hadn't really mattered. So even though this one was technically the third of the submerged tracks they had run, it was really only the second in the drivers' calculations.

The second track continued on very much like the one before it, though a complex new layout kept the racers on their toes. Banjee had gradually reverted to his old care-free driving habits, much to Taro's annoyance and dismay, yet there fortunately were no collisions or other such mishaps.

Alec was eliminated after the track, finishing just behind Markie who darted past him at the last possible moment.

* * *

After he had been dropped with the others onto the start of the third track, Kurt looked in his rearview mirror and couldn't help feeling disappointed. Markie was still with them.

_What happened?_ he thought impatiently. _Markie was in last place for that entire last track, how is he still here? He must've gotten past Alec at the last second._

Kurt shook his head, imagining how upset the disqualified teen had to be. Kurt could almost feel sorry for Alec. Almost. Though they had agreed to let Taro reach the final track, all the other drivers wanted to stay in the race for as long as possible. An early elimination would be potentially disappointing for any of them.

_Oh well, at least Lani has someone to keep her company now. I hope she's in a good mood._ A sly grin slowly crept over Kurt's face.

Yesterday, Taro had told him that Lani was being rather "emotional" lately. Personally, Kurt had seen her be nothing but pleasant so far, but perhaps the anxiety of helplessly waiting while her husband raced fearlessly to save their lives would be just enough to push her over the edge. If so, Kurt pitied Alec. Definitely pitied him.

A large loop was coming up fast, and Kurt downshifted to get an extra burst of speed on the approach, also managing to pass two drones as he came down the other side. Only Taro and the drone Captain were still ahead of him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Banjee had been closing in on Kurt just as the other driver made his move on the two drones. Banjee followed him around the loop but scowled at his own inability to pass. With a light punch on his steering wheel, he pressed the button for a Nitrox injection, and his car immediately lunged forward past one of the drones.

The Nitrox boost still affecting his car's speed, Banjee hugged the inside of the next turn, fully intending to fly around it. But at the last second, another drone also swerved to the inside line directly in front of Banjee, cutting him off.

Banjee let out a strangled exclamation of surprise, and slammed on his brakes to avoid rear-ending the drone. But quickly realizing that it wouldn't be enough to prevent contact, he jerked his car sharply to the right.

"Banjee, look out!"

Vert's warning from behind came too late. In his frenzied attempt to avoid hitting the drone in front of him, Banjee hadn't realized that the drone he'd previously passed was now coming up again beside him. The rear portion of Banjee's car slammed into the front of the drone's vehicle, sending it spinning madly out of control until it finally collided against the track's transparent wall and was still.

"Uh, oh," Banjee whispered. "Not good."

Taro's anxious voice suddenly cut in across the communicator. "Banjee, what's wrong? I couldn't see what happened. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Banjee replied, breathing hard. "But one of the drones isn't. I accidentally crashed it when I was trying to pass a different one that cut me off all of a sudden."

"Well be careful," Taro hastily instructed him. "The drones'll probably try to crash you next. Keep your eyes open, and.…WHOA!"

"Taro?"

* * *

Apparently, the drones' programmed sense of vengeance was not restricted to the errant human being. Rather than retaliating against Banjee, they had decided to take out Taro. Directly in front of him, the drone Captain suddenly hit its brakes, and an unsuspecting Taro rammed right into the other vehicle as his own car began sliding out of control. Another drone then hit him from behind. Hard.

Taro's car skidded sideways, but before he could straighten it back out, the momentum of his previous speed continued to propel the car forward, and it completely rolled over twice, barely landing back on its wheels. Taro didn't respond to Banjee's frantic calls.

* * *

Kurt nearly slammed on his brakes the moment he saw the crash in front of him, yet he hesitated. He wanted to go back and see if Taro was alright, but if he did, the drone Captain would be virtually unopposed in the coming tracks. What was more, if Taro was unable to finish the race, the responsibility for winning would fall on him, and wasn't that more important in the grand scheme of things?

"Keep goin', Kurt," Banjee spoke up, as if reading his thoughts. "I'll check on Taro. You go finish this thing."

"Right, Banjee. And thanks." Confidence restored, Kurt floored the accelerator and sped toward the rapidly approaching end of the third track, steadily closing the gap between himself and the Captain.

And once the other drivers saw that Banjee had stopped to help Taro, they followed Kurt's example and continued on with the race.

* * *

Banjee screeched to a halt next to Taro but waited until all the other racers had passed before getting out of his car and rushing to his friend's side. Taro was slouched back in his seat, unconscious but showing no other sign of injury. Banjee gently removed him from the car and eased him onto the ground.

"Taro?" he called anxiously, softly tapping him on the cheek. "Taro, can you hear me? Wake up!"

Taro stirred and blinked his eyes open, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"Are you okay, Taro?"

Taro looked up, startled, as though noticing Banjee for the first time.

"I'll be all right," he finally said after accepting the other's proffered hand and rising unsteadily to his feet. He looked around and leaned back against his car. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're already in the next track," Banjee told him, his usually jovial face now grave with concern. "Can you keep racing?"

Taro grimaced. "I don't know, we're awfully far behind now. We're probably better off just letting Kurt finish."

Banjee nodded in reply, then sighed and hung his head. "Taro, I'm sorry. It was my crazy driving that got you into this whole mess. I know I should've listened to you from the start, but I swear I never thought the drones would go after you because of something I did wrong."

"It's all right, Banjee. I know you didn't mean any harm, but it doesn't change the fact that we're both pretty much out of this race. I'm finished, and not even you will be able to catch up with the others in the next leg after losing so much time."

But Banjee firmly shook his head at the thought. "No way, Taro, that's not fair to you. I'll lose this leg, and then you can go on to the next one. Kurt and the others will wait for you to catch up."

"They'll wait, yes, but the drones won't," Taro insisted. "They'll keep going, and our guys need to stay with them. Besides, my car's in no shape to keep racing after that crash. It'll get me to the end of this track and through the portal, but that's about it."

"Okay, if you insist," Banjee complied as they both got back into their cars. "I'll see you soon, Taro. And, I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Kurt'll get the job done. He's a great driver, as long as he stays focused."

A few moments later, and Banjee was flying through the portal. Taro followed and unconsciously released a long sigh. It _was_ rather disappointing to be eliminated after only the third leg of the race. But at least he would be reunited with Lani much sooner than expected.


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary: **An alternate sequel for the World Race movie. Written after seeing WR many times, but before I saw AcceleRacers. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Please enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I still don't own anything. (Only Kurt in my wildest dreams! Yeah, okay, I'm done now. Never mind!)

**Author's Note: **Whew, the story's moving quickly. Sorry I took so long in getting this next chapter up. Thanks everyone for your patience, hope I don't disappoint you! Well, there's not much else to say, so please enjoy, and I look forward to reading your reviews!

**Chapter Nine**

Taro dropped out of the portal and found himself back on the stretch of road in Hot Wheels City that had initially led them to the underwater track. He stopped his car and looked around for the others. A short ways farther down the road, he saw Lani and Alec both sitting on the hood of Alec's car, talking.

Yet as Taro looked closer, he could see that Alec was holding one of Lani's hands in his own, patting it awkwardly. He was obviously _very_ uncomfortable. And judging from the familiar hunch and slight shaking of his wife's shoulders, Taro understood completely. Lani's emotions had gotten the best of her. Again.

With a low groan, Taro briefly closed his eyes and mentally prepared to transition from one sort of danger zone into another entirely different one. But as long as Lani was in a "crying mood" rather than a "fighting mood," they would be all right. He began driving forward again, and both Lani and Alec looked up as he approached and got out of his car to join them.

"Taro!" Lani exclaimed, hopping down from Alec's car and throwing her arms around her husband's neck. She immediately started sobbing into his shoulder. "Oh, Taro, are you okay? I'm so glad you're here! But you're not supposed to be here! You shouldn't be here! Why are you here? Oh, I'm so happy you're here!"

Taro simply held her, one hand around her waist and the other gently stroking her hair. He didn't bother trying to answer her frenzied stream of questions. She wouldn't really hear him anyway – not yet, at least. He looked over her bent head at Alec who had also come down from the car's hood and was walking slowly toward them, looking immensely relieved.

"Thanks," he said with a shaky grin. "She's been a little hysterical like this since I first got here. I…didn't really know what to do. Sorry."

"It's okay," Taro told him quietly. "I didn't know what to do at first, either. I'm sure you did the best you could. I'm actually surprised she held together for as long as she did. Thanks for taking care of her until I got here."

Alec nodded. "Hey, no problem. But you know, she's right. What are you doing out already? I thought we agreed to let you go through to the end."

"We did. But in that last track, Banjee crashed into one of the drones, and instead of going after him in retaliation, they took me out. I'm all right, but my car's not. It would never have made it through the rest of the tracks without some repairs, and there's obviously no time for that now."

"What about Banjee? Is he okay?" Alec asked, concerned.

"He's fine, but unless something else unthinkable happens, he'll be the next one out here. He stopped to see if I was hurt after the drones crashed me, so now he's a good five minutes or more behind the others. I highly doubt he'll be able to catch up with them," Taro explained.

"Probably not," Alec agreed. "So Kurt's gonna have to win this thing now?"

"Yeah, unless something happens to him, and he gets eliminated, too. And if that happens…I'm not sure what they'll do. With Banjee most likely out of the race as well, Dan Dresden would probably race to the finish. He'd be the best choice of the remaining drivers, though I'm not sure Vert and Markie would agree. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're both good, but Dan's older and more mature, which will be more helpful than their crazy stunts in our present situation."

Alec shrugged. "I think Vert at least would understand that; Markie would probably be harder to convince, though."

"I agree. But remember, this is all purely speculation. I'm sure Kurt will do fine, and after Banjee's little mishap, the other drivers ought to be more careful from now on. There's nothing more we can do now but wait patiently and hope for the best."

"Oh, Taro, thank goodness you're here," Lani murmured again into her husband's shoulder, wiping her tears on his driving suit. "I was so worried, I thought I'd never see you again…"

Taro sighed and gave her shoulder a little squeeze. Although Lani's mood was sure to improve with time, the next couple hours might be very long indeed. And what had he just said about waiting patiently?

* * *

Meanwhile, Banjee had entered the fourth underwater track, and now that there were no drones to get in his way, he was making liberal use of his remaining Nitrox 2 in a desperate attempt to catch up to the other drivers. All alone, he shook his head and grimaced. Taro's crash had been entirely his fault. He certainly hadn't done anything on purpose, but he still felt terrible because of it.

He had only been in the track for a moment when he heard Dan Dresden's voice in his ear.

"Banjee? Taro? Anybody back there?" Dan called from the other end of the communicator.

"It's Banjee, Dan," the Puerto Rican driver replied.

"What about Taro?" Markie then asked worriedly. "Is he okay?"

"Taro's fine, but his car was damaged, and he had to back out of the race," Banjee explained, traces of guilt evident in his voice. He tried changing the subject. "How long exactly have you guys been in this track?"

"Just over eight minutes," Dan answered him. "How far behind us are you?"

Banjee blew out a quick rush of air. "About six minutes, maybe less now that I've used up the rest of my Nitrox. It still doesn't look like I'll be able to catch you guys, but I'm sure gonna try."

"Sorry, Banjee, we'd wait for you if we could, but…" Dan's voice faltered.

"Yeah, I know," Banjee said ruefully. "But don't worry, this whole mess is my fault anyway. I'm the one who should be sorry, and I am."

"It's all right, Banjee," Kurt broke in, trying to help. "Don't beat yourself up too much about Taro. We all know it wasn't intentional. But stuff like that happens, and you've just gotta move on in spite of it. Besides, Taro's not the only one who can win this race. We've still got everything under control up here."

"Yeah, you're right, Kurt," Banjee exclaimed with sudden determination, a playful smile returning to his face though the others couldn't see it. "It's not over 'til it's over. Don't count me out yet. We've still got a race to finish!"

Further ahead on the track, Vert grinned. The crash had only dampened Banjee's spirits temporarily, and now he was as fun and competitive as ever.

"Good luck, Banjee," Vert encouraged his fellow racer. "And if we don't see you again by the end of this track, then we'll all meet up with you at the end sooner or later."

"Right," Banjee answered resolutely. "I'll see you guys soon." He then turned off his communicator and focused all his attention on cutting as much time off of his driving as possible. He actually did make very good time. However, the closest he ever came to the other drivers was a brief glimpse of the last drone entering the portal as he finally drew near to the end of the track – his last in the underwater race.


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary: **An alternate sequel for the World Race movie. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Please enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any of it.

**Author's Note: **Alrighty, I've finally got another update for you guys! Thanks yet again to all you faithful reviewers, you brighten up my day! It was especially nice to hear from you again, Bri! Anyway, this particular chapter gave me a little trouble in spots, but it was still very fun to write, and I'm quite proud of it. It's a nice angsty-Kurt chapter. This is the one you've been waiting for, Backupsystem! I sincerely hope you, and everyone else, of course, likes it. I look forward to hearing from you guys soon, so enjoy!

**Chapter Ten**

In the fifth track, tensions were running high among the four remaining drivers as they sought to navigate through the submerged labyrinth of sharp twists and turns that spread out before them.

"Man, these tracks really do get harder every time," Vert said almost to himself, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"Yeah, no kidding," Markie agreed as he just barely slid his car around a particularly sharp turn, nicking the track wall in the process but still managing to maintain control of his vehicle.

Still at the front of the pack and sticking to the drone leader like a shadow, Kurt heard the harsh scraping of metal and looked in his rearview mirror just in time to see his brother pull out of the turn.

"Careful, Markie," he cautioned, grimacing. Personally, Kurt had never been on tracks this intense. They were different from the ones in Highway 35 last year since there were no crazy jumps or huge obstacles to hinder drivers, but the relentlessly serpentine layout was insane. They had not seen a straightaway of any kind in this fifth track thus far, and he highly doubted that they would ever see one again throughout the remainder of the race.

But Markie didn't seem to heed his warnings.

"Oh, c'mon, Kurt, stop worrying so much!" he complained. "I'll be fine!" And then, with a mischievous grin, "Who knows? I might even beat you to that last track."

Kurt snorted softly. "I highly doubt that, Little Brother. All the same, you're welcome to try as far as I'm concerned." Too late, he realized that probably hadn't been the smartest thing to say. Not only did it threaten to severely throw off their pre-determined plans, but it also gave Markie an excuse to be even more reckless than usual.

So he added, "Just don't do anything crazy, okay?"

Markie shook his head and sighed, exasperated. "See, there you go again! Quit mothering me, will ya?"

"I'm not _mothering_," Kurt immediately protested. "I'm just….'big-brothering' you. There's a difference."

"Maybe," Markie argued, "but it's still annoying."

Secretly, though, he smiled unseen his older brother's concern. True, Kurt _was_ overprotective to the point where it got to be a bit irritating, but Markie recognized it for what it was – the sincerest way Kurt knew of expressing his loving care for his little brother. And Markie appreciated it.

Kurt finally gave in. "All right, all right. I'll try not to bug you so much from now on, but only if you promise to use a little common sense. Okay?"

"Fine, I promise I won't do anything stupid. Or at least I'll _try_ not to."

"That's good enough," Kurt said and grinned, relieved. Maybe he was overdoing it a little. By now, the urge to protect his brother had become almost an obsession. He had been concerned for Markie's safety during the World Race, but even then it hadn't been _this_ bad.

Then again, one year ago, he hadn't still been recovering from the loss of both his parents. Was this how they had felt every time he, and later Markie, went out to race? Had they been similarly overwhelmed by both worry and despair? Worry, because their child's death or serious injury was a distinct possibility; and despair, because they had no control over how their son or the other racers drove.

And yet, they had obviously overcome their anxiety, or at least learned to control it so that they weren't constantly badgering him about "being safe." That must've been incredibly difficult for them, especially during his early years as a driver. He and Dan had met their junior year of high school, and for the next two years, they'd spent most weekends and many nights out racing, even if it was just the two of them.

And then at college… Kurt chuckled and shook his head as he reminisced. College had been a joke! Well, academically speaking, anyway. He had only gone for one year, and every free moment had been dedicated to racing with a new crowd of people, although Dan had still been among them.

All college had done was confirm the fact that he was a good driver. _Very_ good – better even than he had initially thought himself to be. And so he had left after that first year. He'd immediately entered and won a few open races and was soon a major contender in the world of professional racing. Dan had followed his friend's example the following year, and the two had never looked back since.

His parents must have intuitively known about his and Dan's street racing when they were younger, but somehow, the boys had never gotten in trouble with the law for it. And since there had been no other solid proof to condemn them, his parents, though anxious, had left them alone.

Kurt had always appreciated them for that, but only now did he realize just what they must have gone through. He knew that he needed to lay off and give Markie more freedom, like his parents had done for him, but it was hard. _Really _hard! He only hoped he would grow out of it in time, for Markie's sake.

"Well, if you two are through bickering for the time being," Dan's amused voice suddenly broke into Kurt's thoughts, "let's get back to the matter at hand. Kurt, has that Captain tried to pull away from you at all yet?"

"No, but it's still kinda difficult keeping up with him," Kurt admitted. "I think he already knows these tracks, which gives the drones a definite advantage."

"Especially in the final track when you'll have to pass him without knowing what's up ahead," Dan added. "Speaking of which, this track should be ending fairly soon."

"Who's last right now?" Kurt asked him.

"I am, but Vert and Markie are both right in front of me."

"Good. Pass 'em, Dresden. Don't leave me alone with those two punk kids."

Dan laughed. "Don't worry, even I wouldn't be that cruel."

"Hey!" Markie interrupted hotly, exchanging indignant glances with Vert. "You guys _do_ know we can both hear you, right?"

"Of course!" Dan exclaimed. "That's the whole point! We wouldn't have said anything at all, otherwise."

With that, he downshifted for a burst of speed and quickly closed in on the two younger drivers. Dan zoomed up right behind Vert's car and hung close to his bumper for a moment. He then feigned an attempt to pass on Vert's right but jerked his car the other way at the last minute and passed on the left, slipping right in between Vert and Markie.

The three drivers raced side by side, taking up almost the full width of the track. But then, just up ahead of them, one of the drones fishtailed while turning a corner and lost control of its vehicle. It skidded sideways to a halt on the far right side of the track, directly in Vert's path.

Dan took it all in, and instantly slammed on his brakes so that he fell back behind the others once again. Vert then darted over into the place Dan had previously occupied, missing the drone by a hair's breadth as they whizzed past.

"Whoa!" Vert cried out, his heart racing. "That was close! Everybody okay?"

"Yeah," Dan and Markie both responded.

"What happened?" demanded Kurt, who was too far ahead to see what had occurred. His foot unconsciously hovered over the brake pedal, ready to stop and turn around in a heartbeat if anything had happened to his brother.

"We're fine," Markie told him, though his voice was still a bit shaky. "We just had a close call, that's all."

"Yeah, I gathered that much, but what actually happened?" Kurt pressed his sibling.

"The three of us were all together when one of the drones crashed itself further up the track," Dan explained. "And even though it wouldn't really have been our fault, I was afraid that if we ran into it, the others would try to crash you the way they did Taro earlier. We avoided the drone, but I had to slow down so Vert could move out of its way. I'm not sure I'll be able to pass anyone again before the end of the track. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you were willing to take one for the team," Kurt told his old friend. "Thanks for everything, Dresden, if this is your last leg."

"Good luck, Kurt! Remember, he's just a drone; you can take him!"

Kurt grinned. "Right. See ya on the other side."

He didn't have time to say any more, for immediately around the next turn was the portal. The drivers were all taken by surprise, though they had known the track was bound to end soon; and sure enough, Dan didn't have enough time to make another pass. He was sent back to Hot Wheels City with the others where there was nothing to do but wait and hope.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary: **An alternate sequel for the World Race movie. Our favorite characters are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Please enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't any_body_ or any_thing_.

**Author's Note: **Yes, I finally have something for you guys! I'm so sorry this was so long in the making, I promise I'll do better next time! Things have just been so busy. I traveled a lot for a couple weeks, and now I'm starting my first full time job. And, far more importantly, I got my first car! I'm so excited, I _love_ it! Well, I don't want to make you guys wait any longer, so read on and enjoy!

**Chapter Eleven**

For what seemed like the millionth time in the race, Kurt Wylde glanced nervously into his rearview mirror. This time, however, he had to resist a sudden impulse to burst out laughing. Who would have thought that here in the sixth track, only two away from what would easily be the most important race of his life, the two allies remaining to him would be Vert and Markie? Inexplicably bemused, Kurt shook his head. If nothing else, Fate certainly had an ironic sense of humor.

"Hey, Kurt, you ever think the race would come down to just us three?" Markie abruptly voiced Kurt's own thoughts with impeccable timing.

He maneuvered around another perilously sharp turn at high speed and noted with great self-satisfaction that he was gradually inching closer and closer toward his older brother.

"I think I might make it to the last track after all," he taunted.

Kurt snorted softly at that. "Don't count on it," he retorted. He had no intention of letting either of those two kids reach the final track before him, especially not Markie. "But to answer your question: no, I never really expected either of you guys to stay in this long."

"Ouch, Kurt, that hurts," Vert teased him, deftly passing one of the three remaining drones. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten what happened last year?"

"No, don't worry, I haven't forgotten," Kurt grimly assured him, fervently hoping the two teens wouldn't wear out his patience before the all-important final track. He would need every bit of his focus then, and the hours of constant, unpredictable driving were beginning to take their toll as fatigue slowly but surely set in.

"It's not that I don't think you two are good," he further explained, despite the energy it expended, "cause I know you both are. But let's face it: at this point, we were all expecting me and Taro to still be around, and then probably Dresden or Banjee since they're both some of the more _experienced_ drivers here."

"But anything can happen on the track," Markie pressed back, more to aggravate his brother than anything else. "Experience isn't the _most_ important thing. I mean, me and Vert seem to be doing just fine without a whole lot of it – Hey!"

Vert chuckled as he slipped past Markie on the inside of a turn and quickly accelerated to increase the distance between them. "Sorry, Markie, but it's like you said: anything can happen on the track."

Kurt couldn't resist this golden opportunity. Making sure his attention remained focused on the drone Captain and the track still ahead of him, he said, "You gonna let him talk to you like that, Markie? I thought you were supposed to beat me to the last track – or did I just not hear you right?"

If looks could maim, Kurt's car surely would have burst instantly into flame from the glare Markie leveled in its direction. The younger Wylde sibling even went so far as to stick his tongue out at his big brother, something he hadn't done in years.

"Ha ha, Kurt, very funny!" he shot back. "And you know what, you can have that final track! I'm getting tired anyway."

"Me, too," Vert admitted, stifling a yawn. "Adrenaline can only keep you going for so long. I'll actually be glad when this is all over."

"Believe me, you're not the only one," Kurt agreed. "But until then, stop yawning, will ya? It's contagious."

"Okay, okay, I'll try," Vert promised, furiously blinking his eyes back into focus.

But almost as if his brother's words had been some kind of prearranged signal, Markie sighed tiredly and succumbed to the sudden need to yawn. And though he fought to keep his eyes open, he couldn't prevent them from squeezing shut for a brief moment.

Unfortunately, when he did force them back open, he found himself already in the middle of another wicked curve, a drone beginning to pull past him on his right. Saved by another powerful surge of adrenaline, Markie jerked his car to the left and was thrown hard against his safety harness.

Thankfully, the evasive maneuver had stopped him from colliding into the opposite wall of the track, but the drone that _had_ taken the turn correctly was now obstructing the teenage driver's erratic path. Markie hit the brakes, and his tires squealed in the effort to stop, but it wasn't enough.

He clipped the front of the drone's vehicle, and though the bump wasn't hard enough to crash the robot, its perfect adherence to orders prevailed above all other logic. Remembering how Banjee had inadvertently crashed one of its fellows earlier in the race, the drone now retaliated with a vengeance. It zipped around to come up on Markie's left and rammed ruthlessly into his car, causing the already skidding Stingray to lose control altogether.

Markie let out a strangled cry of surprise and fear, but there was no time for anything else. His head spun, and he was aware of a sharp pain in his shoulder before darkness suddenly overtook him, and he knew no more.

The drone looked back, satisfied, and sped onward. Its work was finished.

* * *

Vert heard the harsh sound of scraping metal from behind him, but due to the track's serpentine layout, he couldn't see what had happened.

"Hey, Markie, everything okay back there?" He was only mildly concerned, considering how many close calls his friend had pulled through over the course of the race. But there was no response, and Vert's stomach involuntarily twisted itself into a tight knot of apprehension.

Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong.

"Markie? Markie!"

* * *

Now considerably farther ahead on the track, Kurt's attention was riveted on the drone Captain directly in front of him, well aware that the end of this sixth track was due to come up shortly. He was debating with himself about whether or not it was finally time to pass the Captain, when he thought he heard a strange sound over the communicator – a sort of quick gasp that had been suddenly cut short.

He shook his head, bewildered. Perhaps this cursed underwater track was getting to him, and he was beginning to hear things? He was about to shrug off all memory of the noise and prepare himself for start of the next track, when something else reached his ear. But this time, it was impossible to doubt his hearing.

"Markie? Markie!"

The panicked urgency in Vert's voice was as clear as a cloudless summer day, and there was absolutely no mistaking what it meant.

Without thinking, Kurt slammed on the brakes and whipped his car around, the drone Captain and the entire Underwater Race forgotten. Right now, his only thought was for his little brother.

* * *

Still hoping for a response from Markie, Vert had deliberately slowed down and was anxiously waiting. Just when he had decided to turn around and see if his fellow teen needed help, he was shocked by the sight of Kurt's Sling Shot flying past him in the opposite direction.

"Kurt!" he cried. "What're you _doing_?"

"I'm not leaving without Markie, Vert," came Kurt's hurried reply. "You're gonna have to finish this thing."

But Vert still hesitated. "What about that Captain? He's too far ahead of me now."

"Vert, you can catch him! You came from behind to win the World Race last year, I know you can do it again now!"

Vert nodded and resumed driving with a new relish, though his mind was still groping to grasp this new unexpected twist of events. He managed to stay ahead of two of the drones for the remainder of the track, but by the time he reached the portal, he hadn't gotten so much as a glimpse of his chief opponent.

His shadow shaken off at last, the Captain had passed unopposed through the portal long before and was inexorably making his way to the end of the fateful race.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurt sped toward the wreckage of Markie's crash, his heart racing even faster than his car. At last, he rounded one of the innumerable turns and screeched to a halt. For a moment, time itself seemed to stop, and Kurt could only gaze in horror at the sight before him.

His brother's convertible – mangled and smoking – had been flipped completely upside down. And the gloved hand that protruded from the driver's side, though barely visible, was lying bloody and motionless upon the ground.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary:** An alternate sequel for the World Race movie. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after seeing WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** I own no Hot Wheels/Mattel products, characters, etc. Doesn't this get a bit redundant after a while?

**Author's Note:** Wow, clearly that last chatper gave most of you a good scare. Good, that's what it was supposed to do! Thanks a bunch for the feedback! Well, I don't want to keep you from finding out what happens any longer, so read on and enjoy!

**Chapter Twelve**

Kurt Wylde feared the worst. In the brief seconds it took him to dash over to Markie's car, he took in every detail of the crash, all the while struggling to suppress the rapid pounding of his heart. Seeing that the far side of the vehicle was still intact, he judged that it had not rolled over several times, as he had initially suspected, but rather had flipped over just once before the transparent wall of the track stopped its momentum.

What was more, the car rested against the pipeline at an angle, with the driver's side tilted ever so slightly off the ground. His hopes daring to surface again, Kurt dropped to his knees beside the car and bent down to see under it as best he could.

"Markie!" he called, gingerly touching his brother's extended, bloodied hand, but there was still no response.

"Markie…" This time, the word was spoken more to himself than to his sibling. Though providence had apparently saved Markie from being crushed beneath his car, Kurt still had no way of knowing whether he was dead or simply unconscious.

And now faced with the strong possibility of losing his little brother as well as his parents, he found it was almost more than he could bear. Unbidden tears flooded his eyes, and he bitterly brushed them away to clear his vision.

His mind grasping madly for ideas, Kurt searched desperately for a way to get Markie out of the useless automobile without knocking it loose and bringing it down on both of them. At last, he simply rolled over onto his back and inched his way as far under the car's raised side as he could. He didn't get very far, but it turned out to be just enough.

Despite the darkness that made it difficult to see, Kurt managed to reach out and find his brother's safety belt. He undid the harness and immediately scolded himself for being so short-sighted when he felt Markie's deadweight land right on top of him. Kurt grunted softly and began wriggling out from under the deformed car.

He dragged Markie with him, trying to be as gentle as possible, for he feared moving his brother in this condition might actually cause greater damage than the crash itself had done. Nevertheless, when he had extricated them both from the Stingray, Kurt laid Markie on his back before checking to see how severely he had been injured. If he had even survived at all.

But Markie was still breathing, and his pulse beat at a slow but steady tempo. Overwhelmed with blissful relief, Kurt let out a deep sighed and felt some of the tension ease out of his coiled muscles. He raised his eyes heavenward in gratitude, though realizing the cruel irony of the fact that the only thing to be seen above them was the dark water of an endless sea.

But at that moment, a low, soft moan came from the ground before him. Markie was coming around, his face distorting in pain as he gradually woke.

"Markie?" Kurt called once again, his eyes bright with the intensity of their concern. "Markie, can you hear me?"

"Kurt?" Markie finally answered, his eyes opening at last and slowly focusing on the figure that knelt over him. "What…?" He tried to sit up, his face twisting with the effort.

"Stay still!" Kurt ordered, gently yet firmly holding his brother to the ground. "Don't move until we know how bad you're hurt."

Markie closed his eyes again and nodded, though his body still trembled in pain and fatigue.

"Relax," Kurt told him, trying to keep his own voice calm. "We'll get you outta here. You'll be all right, I promise." But his heart could not match the conviction in his voice, for he knew all too well that any efforts to help Markie would be futile unless Vert won in the next leg. And if he lost, they'd all be doomed.

"What happened?" Markie asked in a daze.

"I don't know, I was going to ask you the same thing. How did you crash?"

Markie hesitated, as though he couldn't remember right away. Finally, he said slowly, "I accidentally bumped into one of the drones, and it crashed me. I don't remember anything after that."

"I don't think there _was_ much after that," Kurt said tersely. "You were just hanging there until I got here."

Markie took a good look at his car and grimaced, although this time it wasn't from physical pain alone. "Oh, man," he breathed. "That was a great car. I sure am gonna miss it. Unless you think there's a way we can save it?"

"No, I'm afraid it's beyond help. Plus, there's no way we can get it out of the track. But what about you, Markie? Where are you hurt?"

"My head hurts, and my neck's pretty sore, but it's mostly my arm." Markie tried to lift his left arm but instantly let it fall back to the ground with a sharp hiss.

"Let me see," Kurt said, moving around to Markie's other side so he could better examine the limb, which was bloody from the elbow down.

"Looks like it went through a window or something," he commented, nodding toward the shattered glass on the ground near the wreck. Thankfully, the only other blood he could see came from a couple of small cuts on his brother's face and neck.

"We'll have to try to remove any glass that's still in there," Kurt went on, using his driving jacket as a temporary bandage, "and then you'll definitely need stitches."

"Great," Markie muttered. "But you know, my shoulder really hurts, too."

"Can you move it?"

"Just a little, but it _really_ hurts."

Kurt frowned. "Maybe you dislocated it." He reached over and tentatively felt Markie's shoulder, hurriedly offering an apology when Markie hissed in pain once again.

"I don't know, Markie, it doesn't feel like it's dislocated. Maybe you just sprained it, which'll be painful enough, but it will heal."

Markie nodded. "That's probably it. But like I said, that's the worst."

Kurt sighed again, relieved beyond belief. "Good, now let's get you out of here. Come on, I'll help you to my car."

Markie grasped his sibling's arm but suddenly drew back, saying, "Wait! If you're here with me, what about the race? You were supposed to win, but now we're all gonna be stuck here anyway!"

"Vert's gone on to the last track," Kurt explained, gently pulling Markie off the ground. "There was just no way I was going to leave you here."

"Well, thanks then," Markie said as he got to his feet. But he paused and clenched his eyes shut for a moment while his head spun in dizzying circles, and he was forced to lean against his brother for support. Kurt simply held him steady and waited. When the moment had passed, they began slowly making their way toward Sling Shot.

As Kurt was helping him into the car, Markie looked back up at his brother and asked, "But do you really think Vert can make it?"

Kurt shrugged. "He did last year, didn't he?"

Despite his pain, even Markie had to grin at that, and the two brothers reached the portal a short while later, leaving the Underwater Race behind them for good.

* * *

Meanwhile, Vert was careening through the twists and turns of the seventh track, struggling to make up for lost time. He had easily pulled away from the one drone closest to him, but he still had not seen any sign of the Captain. And he was beginning to panic – his time was running out.

He kept looking for an opportunity to use the remains of his Nitrox 2, about one boost's worth; but with all the tight corners, it was impossible. He needed to use the fuel on a straightaway of some kind, otherwise it would surely get him killed. And what use would he possibly be to his friends then? They were counting on him to win, and he could not let them down! Their very lives depended on it.

At last, after he had been in the track about ten minutes, Vert rounded a turn, and there stretching out before him was a most conveniently placed straightaway.

"Yes!" he exclaimed with an eager pump of his fist. He pressed the button for a Nitrox injection, and his Deora II shot forward. The track was leading him over a rather large hill, and Vert's eyes narrowed in concentration as he steeled himself against any strange new twist that might lie just over the top. Considering his additional speed, he would have to be ready for anything. But nothing could possibly have prepared him for what he saw when he finally did come over the hill's crest.

Vert froze, his breath suddenly catching in his chest. Directly on the other side of the hill, after only ten minutes of track, was the portal, and the blonde teen was just in time to see the drone Captain entering it well ahead of him. Vert couldn't believe it: he had lost!


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary: **An alternate sequel to the World Race movie. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Please enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing!

**Author's Note:** Hello, all, and Happy Thanksgiving! I'm glad you were all so pleased with the previous chapter. Thanks again for your motivating responses, I always love reading them! On a sadder note, I regret to inform you that, as you can probably already see, this will be my final update for this fic. And it will most likely be a while before you see anything new from me. Don't worry, I'll still be around to read and review for all of your great stories! But who knows? I may find some new inspiration after I finally see "Ultimate Race" which comes out on dvd this Tuesday, Nov. 28. Yay! At long last! I am SO excited, I can't wait! But now I'll let you finally move on to the actual story. This last chap is a bit longer than most of the others, but I'm sure you guys won't mind ) So enjoy, and I'll see you at the Epilogue!

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Hey, Banjee, who do you think will be the next one out here: Vert or Markie?" Alec asked as he strolled over to his fellow racer.

"I don't know," Banjee replied absently. He was rummaging around in his car, bent on some mysterious quest. "But my guess would be Markie."

"I agree," Dan added, coming up beside Alec. "That kid's luck is bound to run out soon."

"Luck?" Alec questioned. "Why do you say that?"

Dan chuckled. "Because I know Markie, and believe me, luck is the main reason he's stayed in the race so long. 'Luck' meaning that most of us older drivers here either crashed or were forced to slow down at some point. But now that there's only three of them in there, I really don't think he'll be able to stay ahead of Vert by the time they reach the end."

"Well, whoever's going to lose in this leg, they should have been out here by now," Taro interjected, his face graver than usual. He sat beside a still-despondent Lani on the hood of his car, one arm wrapped around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "If that track was about half an hour long, like all the others, it should've ended over fifteen minutes ago. But no one's come out yet, and I don't like it."

"Don't worry about it, Taro," Banjee called, waving away the other man's concern in his usual, carefree manner. "The tracks probably just changed a little – you know, to add something new now that they're getting so close to the end."

"I suppose," Taro said slowly, though his face showed he wasn't truly convinced. He paused, then abruptly asked, "Banjee what _are_ you doing?"

Banjee's voice was a bit muffled coming from inside the car as he replied, "I was just looking for – Aha!" He popped up from out of his vehicle, victoriously shaking what looked like nothing more than a small plastic bag.

Dan just looked on, unimpressed. "Banjee, I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is that?"

"My bag of jellybeans!" Banjee replied, his face beaming. "I _knew_ they were in this car somewhere."

"Jellybeans?" Lani asked suddenly, her head rising from Taro's supporting shoulder.

"Yeah," Banjee told her as he opened the bag and offered it to Dan and Alec who still stood nearby. "You want some?"

"Only if you have any black ones," Lani answered, her blue-green eyes hopeful. Black jellybeans hardly ever got eaten, and right now, she was craving them.

But her face fell when Banjee looked closely into the bag and shook his head. "No, sorry, Lani. The black ones are my favorite, too, and I think I ate 'em all back when I first opened the bag. Sorry."

"That's okay," Lani said, though clearly disappointed. "Besides," she reasoned, "they're _not_ chocolate."

"You like the black ones, Banjee?" Dan asked in disbelief. "You really are crazy!"

"Hey, they're the best!" the Puerto Rican retorted. "Besides, Lani likes 'em, too. What about her?"

"She's pregnant," Dan argued, "she's allowed a few eccentricities."

Banjee opened his mouth to retaliate, but Alec stepped in between them. "Come on, you guys," he interrupted. "It's not that important. Let's just eat these before someone else gets here."

"Oh, now _that's_ not a selfish attitude," Taro chided sternly, although there was the slightest hint of a smile on his features. "All the same, I still think we should have seen someone by now."

Lani reached over and gently squeezed his hand. "Honey, don't you think you're overreacting a bit? I'm sure they're all fine."

At that moment, the portal on the water's surface opened to disgorge a sleek car that the drivers recognized all too well. Dan was the first to recover from the shock.

"Kurt!" he exclaimed, hurrying forward with the others as Sling Shot drew near.

The car's top lifted open, and Kurt stepped out, quickly moving over to the other side of his vehicle.

"Kurt, what happened?" Dan pressed his friend, coming up next to him.

Kurt didn't respond right away, but the question was answered well enough when Markie took his brother's offered hand and emerged from the passengers' seat, his arm still bloody and a tender bruise already showing on his forehead.

"Markie, are you okay?" Banjee asked, his usually cheerful face drawn in evident concern.

The younger Wylde nodded slowly. "I will be."

"But what happened?" Dan questioned yet again. "And will you please say something this time!"

"He wrecked his car," Kurt replied, stating the obvious. "I'm not sure about many of the details, but I think he said one of the drones crashed him. Right, Markie?"

"Yeah," Markie confirmed. "I just nicked its car, but then it totaled mine."

"No hope of saving it?" Alec asked.

Markie shook his head. "No. But I think for my next car I'll do something bigger and tougher – something black."

Kurt laughed at that. "You go right ahead, little brother."

"I'm just glad you seem to be okay," Dan said, his face showing a mixture of lingering shock and newfound relief.

"But he still needs help!" Lani exclaimed suddenly. "Come with me," she commanded, grabbing Markie by his uninjured wrist, "I'll take care of that arm." With that, she resolutely led him back to her car where she had a first aid kit stashed away for such emergencies.

The others watched them go for a moment in total silence before Alec finally spoke up again.

"What about Vert?" he asked, equally concerned for his own best friend, who was still unaccounted for.

But Kurt quickly allayed his fears. "Vert's fine. He should be about halfway through the final track now."

"How far behind the Captain was he?" Taro voiced the question that had been secretly gnawing away at each of their minds. And much to their dismay, Kurt grimaced.

"It was pretty far," he confessed. "But Vert's a good driver, he can catch him – especially if he gets a chance to use his Nitrox."

"But there hasn't been a straightaway since the fifth track," Dan worriedly pointed out. "Where's he supposed to use it?"

"I don't know," Kurt admitted with a defeated sigh. "We can only hope that things in the last track will be different." He turned to look pointedly at Taro. "I'm sorry. I know you guys were counting on me to win this thing, but I just couldn't leave Markie."

"It's okay, Kurt," Dan soberly told his friend. "We understand." And they did.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Banjee added, clasping Kurt on the shoulder. "Vert'll get the job done. That kid's good!"

Kurt nodded, appreciative of the encouragement. "Thanks, you guys. I'm gonna go see how Lani's doing with Markie now."

As his fellow drivers watched him leave, they also caught sight of Lani reprimanding Markie, telling him to "hold still" while she carefully fished the spare shreds of glass from his arm.

Banjee laughed. "Well, Taro," he said, "when that baby does come, at least you won't have to worry about Lani's maternal instincts."

* * *

Meanwhile, Vert looked on with a heavy heart as the futile Nitrox boost propelled him with increasing speed toward the portal. But it didn't matter. This was the _final portal_. None of his teammates would care how fast he had finished: the only truly important thing was that he had lost, and now they were all doomed to a slow and extremely unpleasant death in Highway 35. Only Dr. Tezla would have any idea what had happened to them, and even he would be ignorant of the details

And what could he possibly tell his friends when the portal finally dumped him back into Hot Wheels City? What good would it do to say, "Sorry, I tried my best, but I still lost"? He knew they wouldn't be too hard on him. They knew firsthand how tough this track was. But none of that could change the facts.

After what seemed like an eternity, he entered the portal and braced himself to meet the disappointment of his comrades. But it never came. Instead of the wide open expanse of the City, he found himself in yet another submerged track, just in time to see the drone Captain vanish around the first turn!

Hopelessly confused, Vert scanned his surroundings, his mind racing to comprehend what had transpired. Could it be that the race wasn't over yet? That certainly seemed to be the case – but how? He had lost in the previous track, and there had been no other drivers to be eliminated. And with that thought, he suddenly understood!

There may not have been any other _human_ drivers to eliminate in the last round, but there _had_ been another drone! Heart pounding with forbidden hope, Vert felt a smile creeping back onto his face. Since Kurt and Markie had both exited the race at the same time, the teams had been left uneven – one human driver against two drones.

Vert was grinning from ear to ear now. It all made sense! All the previous track had done was get rid of the extra drone, and the shortened time must have been a twist to throw the drivers off just prior to the all-important final track – _this_ track. The race was far from over.

Praying that this track would be longer than the last, Vert hit the accelerator, and his Deora II responded beautifully. The Nitrox boost at the end of the previous track had not been a waste after all. It had brought him considerably closer to the drone Captain, so that after flawlessly executing only a few turns, Vert had caught up.

The Captain was still quite a ways ahead of him, but Vert was steadily closing in. On the Captain's part, he must have thought his lead secure, for he did not begin to drive in earnest until Vert was a mere two car lengths behind him.

Vert noticed the renewed urgency in his opponent's driving and matched it, shortening the gap even further. Soon, he was right on the drone's bumper and saw one or two opportunities when he could have passed, but still he waited.

Though they had already been in the track for over fifteen minutes, Vert secretly feared this one might also be abnormally short. But he was equally afraid that if he tried to pass too soon, the Captain might try to crash him and finish the race unopposed.

But then it slowly dawned on him: they were_ alone_. If Vert crashed, there would be no one left to challenge the drone Captain; but likewise, if the Captain was put out of commission, _Vert_ would win without any further hindrance. It worked both ways. And while it may not have been the fairest thing to do, there was simply too much at stake to take chances.

Eyes narrowing in determination, Vert downshifted for a brief burst of extra speed and pulled up alongside the Captain who then tried to pull in front of him and block any attempt to pass. But when the drone starting moving towards him, Vert didn't back off. Instead, he jerked his car hard to the right and slammed into the rear side of the Captain's vehicle, causing him to start skidding. The drone tried to straighten out and regain control of his car, but one more carefully placed nudge from Vert finally sent him spinning completely out of control until he ran head-on into the far side of the track wall.

Furious, the Captain let out a horrendous screech that somehow managed to be both piercing and grating at the same time – ironically very much like the harsh sound of metal scraping against metal. And despite his joy at having the remainder of the race to himself, Vert shivered, the shrill cry sending chills coursing up and down his spine.

But soon the wrecked Captain was out of sight and hearing, and Vert pulled his attention back to the race. Now entirely on his own, he deliberately slowed down, wary of any strange, last-minute curves the already-hazardous track might throw his way. And sure enough, something unexpected did occur, but it was the last thing Vert would have imagined.

He had been navigating the track alone for about ten minutes but couldn't shake off the memory of that chilling shriek. He kept imagining that he could still hear it, and every time it seemed even more realistic than before. After a while, he was almost certain he could still hear it. Perhaps this twisted track was getting to him after all. But the feeling persisted.

Finally, just as Vert felt like he was about to go crazy, his eye was caught by a flash a movement in the rearview mirror. He looked again – and froze. He wasn't crazy! There, rapidly gaining ground on him, was the Captain, the demented drone still screeching madly in his programmed lust for victory and vengeance.

Vert continued to stare at his rearview mirror in sheer terror for a few seconds before adrenaline finally kicked in, and he floored the accelerator. Why, oh, why had he slowed down? He had been so preoccupied about danger up ahead that he'd dismissed the Captain altogether. But now he was back, his car clearly damaged yet fully functional.

Vert was truly racing for his life now, driven onward by sudden fear. He had known all along that the lives of himself and his friends were hanging in the balance of this race, but the return of the Captain had lent a new sense of urgency to the life-or-death situation. Vert pushed his car to its limits, doing everything he knew to get more speed. But the Captain drew closer.

At last, they rounded a corner, and a long straightaway stretched out before them. In plain sight at the very end, was the final portal of the Underwater Race. Thrilled at the sight of the straightaway and the portal, Vert pushed the button for his Nitrox 2 booster, but nothing happened. Then he remembered: he had used it all up at the end of the previous track.

Panicking, Vert looked in his rearview mirror and saw that the Captain was still closing in on him. He could see the drone's crazed, glowing eyes drawing ever nearer, their owner bent on the young driver's destruction. The Captain shrieked again, louder than ever before, and Vert involuntarily reached up to cover his ears with his hands – a bad idea. The noise had distracted him, causing his speed to lessen. And the Captain drew closer.

They were very near the portal now, and in one last desperate effort, the Captain lurched forward. Vert cried out as he felt the drone's vehicle make contact against the rear bumper of his own car, and the back end of the Deora II began to fishtail. He winced but was powerless to stop his car as it slid sideways and was hit broadside by the Captain.

But they had reached the portal, and the drone didn't have enough time to break away from Vert and come around him. With one last bitter cry, the drone Captain literally pushed his opponent through the portal to victory.

* * *

Vert came out of the portal sideways, landed hard, and spun wildly until his car finally jerked to a halt. Heart pounding, he looked around. He was indeed back in Hot Wheels City, the wide open sky above seeming strange after being underwater for so long. But he relished it!

He got out of his car and leaned back against it for support, his nerves still recovering from the suspense of the last few minutes of the race. He was shaking slightly, and his body was drenched in a cold sweat. He turned to look back out over the water, half-expecting to see the crazed Captain emerge from the same portal at any moment. But he never came.

"Vert!"

Vert turned back to face the City and saw his fellow racers rushing toward him. Even Markie was there with his arm in a fresh bandage courtesy of Lani, though it would still require professional care when they got back.

A huge wave of relief washed over Vert, and he felt his heart return to a normal rate for the first time since Kurt had left the race. He forced himself to relax and took a deep breath as they approached.

"Vert!" Alec called for the second time. He and the others came up and crowded around Vert, anxiously awaiting the final result of the race.

"Vert, are you all right?" Dan asked, concerned. "You look like you've just seen a ghost or something."

Vert, on his part, had never been happier to see anyone in his life. Alec, Dan, Banjee, Kurt, Markie, Taro, Lani – he wanted to hug them all!

"Well?" pressed an impatient Banjee. "What happened?"

Vert managed a shaky smile. "Well," he said at last. "I won!"

* * *

Seven cars fell out of the sky into the Californian desert, and the eight drivers collectively agreed that there had never been a more welcome sight than that dry, barren land. They were home!

Clouds of dust puffed up around them as the weary racers sped toward the desert's only unusual feature: a giant building, perfectly square, and all alone in a vast sea of sand. And standing just outside the structure, waiting for them, stood two lone figures: one a tall, gray-haired man, and the other a small robot that hovered just above its master's shoulder.

"Look!" Vert exclaimed from the front of the group. "Dr. Tezla and Gig are there waiting for us."

He and the others soon reached their welcoming committee, and Dr. Tezla stepped forward, smiling broadly.

"Welcome back!" he told them. "I am very glad to see you all. Did you complete the hidden track, or shall I schedule a time for you to return?"

"No way, Doc!" Banjee exclaimed hotly. "We are _never_ going back onto that track!"

His fellow drivers nodded vehemently in support of his statement.

"Was it that hard?" Tezla asked, looking genuinely surprised. "I thought you were up to the challenge. I can't believe you want to quit now."

"We're _not_ quitting," Taro sternly defended them. "We finished the track for you."

Tezla frowned. "All of it? Already?"

"Yes, all of it," Kurt stated emphatically. "And it wasn't easy."

"Who won?" the doctor asked.

"Vert," Dan told him, nodding in the young surfer's direction.

Dr. Tezla raised his eyebrows. "Really? Again? Well, Vert, I guess now no one can say that you got lucky last year. But what was at the end of the track – what was the prize?"

"The _prize_?" Vert echoed in disbelief. "The _prize_ was that we all got out of there alive! Otherwise, let's just say you would've been waiting here for us for a _long_ time."

"Oh," Tezla mused, comprehending the situation at last. "I see." He was silent for a moment, then visibly shook himself back to the present. "Nevertheless, you must still be properly rewarded for your efforts. Gig will see to it that you each receive your check immediately."

Gig then spoke up. "Dr. Tezla, if I may say so, the drivers appear very tired. Perhaps we should let them rest now and address the details later."

"I agree," Kurt added. "We need to get Markie's arm taken care of."

Dr. Tezla nodded. "The medical facilities here at my headquarters will be more than sufficient. We will see to it while the others rest. Gig is correct – the details can wait."

"Good," Alec said with a yawn, "cause I'm gonna take a nap. What time is it anyway?"

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon," Dr. Tezla replied, glancing at his chronometer.

Markie's jaw dropped. "Three o'clock? That's it? It felt like we were in there for days!"

"No, I'm afraid you were only gone for a total of four hours and thirty-eight minutes," Dr. Tezla calmly informed the exhausted teen.

Banjee then blew out a long sigh. "Man, talk about a long day. Alec's right: a nap sounds great right now."

The others heartily agreed to that, but just as they were walking inside to head to their rooms, Lani softly cleared her throat.

"Um, excuse me? Sorry this is such a bad time," she said, "but can someone please go get me a hot fudge sundae? Pretty please – with whipped cream, pickles, and a cherry on top?"

* * *

Every year from that point onward, the drivers gather together in the deserts of the Southwestern United States during the summer to race and to reminisce about their past adventures. They gladly enter Highway 35 whenever the necessary Nitrox is available, but never again will they so much as approach the secret entrance to the Underwater Track.

For the chilling memories of that race and its nearly disastrous outcome still haunt the drivers, and even though they aren't sure the track will even open for a second time after being completed once before, none of them are anxious to repeat such a nerve-racking experience. And so they let it be.


	15. Epilogue

**Summary: **An alternate sequel to the World Race movie. Our favorite drivers are back, and the stakes are higher than ever! Written after I saw WR many times, but before I knew about AcceleRacers. Please enjoy, and feel free to review!

**Disclaimer:** For the Last Time, I do not own any Hot Wheels/Mattel cars, characters, etc.

**Author's Note: **Hey, everybody! It is now a very bittersweet moment that I give you this, the final installment. But let's not get too down in the dumps about it! Okay, so the main story line is concluded, but we're not quite done yet. I wrote this Epilogue partly to provide a little more closure for the story, but mainly just to be silly and have fun. And I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it! But before we move into the very end of this fic, I would like to take a brief moment here to once again thank all of my wonderful reviewers:

**Bri**, who was the first to show interest in this story and inspired me to keep writing when even I didn't really see a way to keep it moving forward.

**Walking Weirdo**, whose reviews have traditionally been short but always positive and right on target.

**Backupsystem, **who has faithfully rewarded my efforts as a creative writer by patiently reading deep into the emotions I sought to portray in the characters, especially those of Kurt and Markie.

**Catherine T**, whose constant encouragement has brightened up many of my days as we've both shared in the Hot Wheels spirit by following and engaging in each other's stories.

**KY**, who was late getting around to this story on account of being in India, but it's been a joy and an honor to have her support.

And last but certainly not least, **Fenrir's Daughter,** who was fortunate enought to start reviewing just in time to get a much-coveted spot on this list of acknowledgments.

You guys have been absolutely invaluable to me while writing this story! Without your faithful interest and support, I'm quite confident this story would never have made it past Chapter Four. On this day especially, I am incredibly thankful for all of you! And so, as we wrap up this fanfic, here's one huge and final "Thank You!"

**Epilogue**

Taro and Lani's daughter, Lilo Mariko Kitano, was born on November first, just a few short months after the Underwater Race. And a mere two months later, they invited their old racing friends to come spend a week at their large yet comfortable home in Hawaii. Everyone agreed to come, of course, and a delightful time was had by all.

Today, Taro continues to earn a substantial living through racing, skiing, and other extreme sports. He is also in the midst of writing a book recounting some of his wildest adventures, a process which allows him to be at home much of the time with his lovely wife and daughter.

* * *

Kurt Wylde raced for several more years until he finally met, fell in love with, and married a wonderful young lady named Haley. (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! But don't we all do it at some point: pair ourselves, or a character similar to ourselves, up with the AcceleRacer character of our choice? In my case, it happens to be Kurt by an overwhelming margin, so please permit me this one small indulgence.)

Today, they have three children: Andrew, Lleyton, and Jamie. They also own a multi-million dollar business on and off the Internet and make liberal use of their numerous high-performance sports cars, including the fabulous McLaren F1, capable of speeds over 230 mph. (Oh, how I want one of those cars! See, isn't this fun? =)

* * *

Markie graduated a semester early from high school and immediately began racing on a junior circuit. It wasn't long, however, before he made his way up to the professional circuit and was competing in the same races as Kurt. The good-natured rivalry of the Wylde brothers was one of the most popular topics in sports news for many years.

And despite his brother's later withdrawal from the sport, Mark Wylde remains a highly prominent figure in the world of professional racing. Today, he lives with his young wife Katelyn in the beautiful Midwest, right next door to Kurt and his family, and he can't wait to help teach his niece and two nephews how to drive.

* * *

To this day, Banjee Castillo continues to race, though he prefers to focus the majority of his attention on moto-cross and other such off-road racing events. Lately, though, much of his time has been devoted to his dating relationship with an incredibly sweet girl named Hannah. Rumor has it that wedding bells are soon to ring for the couple, and this will most likely be the case, provided a certain music-loving Japanese cutie doesn't come steal her heart away at the last moment.

(Sorry, Han, if Shirako were in this one, rest assured I'd give him to you. But as it is, I know Banjee's your second fav, so I'm afraid you'll just have to make do with him. Love ya lots, kiddo!)

* * *

After graduating from high school with honors, Vert went on to become an internationally-acclaimed professional surfer, though he still races cars for recreation on a regular basis. The summer following his graduation, he met a fantastically fun fashion guru named Samantha. They were married within two years and continue to live in the Wheelers' house on the beach since Major Wheeler is gone so often on "business."

Samantha loves living in Southern California, and she has a standing agreement with Vert that as much money as he spends on his cars and surfboards, she gets to spend the same amount shopping for designer clothes, shoes, and handbags in Beverly Hills. (That one's for you, Sammy dear – you are so awesome! Virtual palm slap! Sorry, little inside joke there ;)

* * *

Alec Wood graduated from the same high school as Vert, and later competed in local skateboarding events while attending USC where he earned a degree in marine biology. He still keeps in close contact with Vert, and the two friends often get together to engage in light-hearted competitions of surfing and skateboarding – just like old times.

* * *

Dan Dresden raced steadily for many more years. He eventually retired comfortably and became a popular announcer for NASCAR. Haley is still trying to set him up with her own best friend, Angela.

* * *

As for Gig and Dr. Tezla, well – heaven only knows what sort of crazy business those two are up to now….


End file.
